Spooky season is here and little ghouls and goblins will soon be on the hunt for some sugary sweets.
With that in mind, Emporia Police Captain Ray Mattas recently spoke with KVOE News to preview Halloween and offer some helpful tips to ensure you and your trick-or-treaters stay safe. First and foremost, Mattas says no children under the age of 12 should be out alone or left unsupervised.
Additionally, Mattas says with the majority of trick-or-treating taking place in heavily populated areas such as Rural Street as an example, parents should make sure their children have some form of reflective material on their costumes or bags so motorists can see them coming and to use crosswalks whenever possible. As for motorists themselves, Mattas says drivers need to take their time traveling, find alternate routes if possible to avoid a large number of pedestrians and even put their headlights on sooner than normal.
Mattas also says while street parking is legal in most residential neighborhoods he advises that families traveling to other neighborhoods find a parking lot to park their vehicle if possible.
Once trick-or-treating ends, parents should inspect their children’s candy before they eat it. Mattas says the number one rule is that if you find any loose candy, it is best to throw it away.
