News Release
10/30/2009
W.A. Drew Edmondson, Attorney General
AG, Police Chiefs Association Urge Halloween Safety
The emergency room is the last place parents want to take their little ghosts and goblins on Halloween night, and Attorney General Drew Edmondson and the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) are reminding parents, children and motorists to be safe.
“It’s great fun for the kids to dress up as their favorite superhero or princess and roam the neighborhood collecting candy,” Edmondson said. “But don’t let the excitement of the night turn into a spooky trip to the hospital.”
“With Halloween falling on a Saturday night this year and coinciding with the time change, we anticipate a large number of children and adults will be participating in holiday revelry,” said OACP Executive Director Stacey Puckett. “Please follow safety tips for your children and if you are an adult please act responsibly and do not drink and drive. Oklahoma law enforcement encourages everyone to have a great time celebrating but please stay safe.”
Edmondson and Puckett provided the following safety tips:
• Make sure children are supervised by a responsible adult at all times and make sure children stay with the group
• Only trick-or-treat at well-lit houses
• Make sure costumes are fire retardant
• Don’t let kids eat any candy that has not been checked for safety and discard any treats that appear to have been opened
• Have children carry a flashlight or attach reflective tape to their costumes to make them more visible to motorists
• Walk on sidewalks, not in the street
• Watch out for traffic when crossing the street and don’t cross between parked cars
• Keep speeds low when driving through neighborhoods and watch out for children darting into the street
The attorney general reminded parents that they can learn the location of convicted sex offenders and child molesters through the Oklahoma Sex and Violent Crime Offender Registry.
“The registry is a valuable tool to help parents know which houses in their neighborhood they might want to pass up on Halloween night,” Edmondson said. “Some jurisdictions require convicted sex offenders and child molesters keep their porch lights off and to post ‘no-candy-here’ notices at their homes on trick-or-treat night. I look at these requirements as common-sense public safety policies and I support these types of regulations in Oklahoma.”