Halloween marks the end of crime prevention month, and the beginning of the 2010 holiday season.
Really? I thought October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. God, I can’t keep it all straight anymore! We do still get to trick-or-treating, they didn’t take that away, right?
With millions of kids hitting the streets in search of candy and fun, safety and home security is more important than ever.
That’s the only reason security is important? Wow. Glad there was some random press release to tell me about this.
Security Choice, a leading provider of home alarm systems, has released important tips for avoiding crime and accidents this weekend.
Read: Security Choice, a leading provider of home alarm systems, has released important parenting tips for this weekend.
Make a Plan: The most important steps for Halloween safety happen before kids leave the house. Remind trick-or-treaters to be cautious and to stick with a buddy at all times. Plan Halloween routes and communicate with other parents so every child in a group can easily be accounted for. Make sure older trick-or-or-treaters have a set return time and cell phones handy.
Seriously, do we need to tell people this? Isn’t this common sense? Yeah, right, like I’m going to let my two-year-old go out trick-or-treating by herself. “Okay, sweetheart, just go down the street and come back with your haul, okay? Momma’s gonna finish this bottle of wine while you’re out panhandling for candy.”
Be Seen: Children and parents are advised to trick-or-treat in well-lit areas with clear walking paths or sidewalks. Use reflective stickers, flashlights and glowsticks to ensure that children are easily seen by motorists. For those staying home, make sure driveways, walkways and yards are clear of debris in order to reduce the risk of falls.
You know, in theory, this is awesome, right? However, there are flaws. First and foremost being that reflective stickers, flashlights and glowsticks totally ruin a costume. I mean, really, how scary is Freddy if he’s sporting reflective tape? We tried glow-bracelets on the kids last year, but they took them off – and it really didn’t matter since trick-or-treat is in daylight hours anymore these days. Nothing like taking every bit of fun out of the holiday which features begging for handouts from people.
Protect Property: Halloween is an ideal time for vandals and burglars to attack. It is easy to spot who is and isn't home, and with the commotion outside, a thief can blend-in quite easily. Make sure doors and windows stay locked and the home security system is set whenever the house is unattended. Keep alarm company signs clearly displayed and well-lit in order to deter nighttime criminals.
Isn’t any time an ideal time for vandals and burglars to attack? And I love, love, love how this is a press release from a home security company, so of course they have to get the plug in about security signs.
Side note, the guys who sold us our security system (yes, we have one, but it’s not because a press release told us so) said the best security system is a dog. So, if you don’t have a security system, you should adopt a dog, at least for the weekend. (There is so much inherently wrong with that comment, there’s no need for you to point it out to me.)
Keep an Eye Out: Neighborhoods and communities can be united fronts against crime during Halloween weekend. Parents should meet to compare schedules and plan a watch group for the evening. Report any suspicious behavior to the police immediately.
Here’s the thing. When I get with the neighbors to take the kids out trick-or-treating, it’s not for us to plan a watch group for the evening or watch for suspicious behavior. Simply, it’s so we can take our kids out together, and so we can raid their haul for the good chocolate before they notice it. Why do people need to make this so much more complicated than it is? If parents are hovering nearby to steal the good candy before it hits the bottom of the bag, then nothing bad’s going to happen!
Check the Candy: At the end of the night, inspect all candy before kids dig in. Survey for opened or broken wrappers, suspicious-looking items or any ingredients children may be allergic to. Call the Halloween candy hotline at 1-800 433 1200 with any questions you may have.
Duh. I can’t believe we have to remind people to do this. Does anyone really make it a point to throw food in their mouths without first looking at it, especially food received from strangers? (For the record, even my two-year-old would notice an open wrapper, point it out as “broken” and throw it away.) Do you remember, about 20 years ago, when it was all the rage to go to ERs and Urgent Treatment Centers after trick-or-treating to have your candy x-rayed? Can you say paranoid???
Oh, and grammar Nazi alert (because what post is complete without one?) … should totally rewrite to: “Survey for opened or broken wrappers, suspicious-looking items or any ingredients to which children may be allergic.” But, hey, it’s not like they pay professional writers to write these press releases for them.
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