The Bullhead City Police Department would like residents to have a safe and happy Halloween. Here are some helpful Halloween Safety Tips:
1. Help children pick out or make a safe costume:
- To prevent tripping or falling down, costumes should have good ground clearance and not drag. Have children wear their own shoes, rather than giant “feet”.
- Costumes should be fireproof.
- Make sure there are no ties or strings that could get caught on something.
- If your child is carrying a prop, such as a plastic knife or pitchfork, be sure the tips are smooth and flexible enough not to cause injury.
- Have children wear reflective tape, carry a flashlight or glow stick to make them more visible to cars.
2. Tell your children not to eat any candy until you’ve had a chance to check it. Be sure all candy is wrapped and doesn’t appear to be tampered with. It’s a good idea to feed children a big dinner beforehand, so they are less likely to eat candy while trick-or-treating.
3. Children should be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult while trick-or-treating. Or, they should go in the early evening daylight hours, be home by a certain time and parents should know what route they will be taking.
4. Talk to your children about safety issues, such as not getting into cars or talking to strangers, walking not running, looking both ways before crossing the street and not to approach houses that don’t have outside lights on or dogs in a fenced yard.
5. Educate children on the difference between tricks and vandalism. If you are caught throwing eggs at cars or houses you could be arrested for criminal damage.
6. Be extra careful with lighted candles or jack-o-lanterns inside your home. Place them where pets or children cannot accidentally knock them over.
7. Do not feed pets any Halloween candy. Chocolate is toxic to cats and dogs; and wrappers, such as tin foil, can get stuck in their digestive track and make them ill.