Police want youngsters to enjoy the Halloween festivities at the same time as respecting others in their communities.
For many taking part it’s a great fun activity, but for others who may not welcome numerous callers to their door, it can be a very unnerving and stressful time.
It is a time young people should be extra careful and be aware of who they ‘scare’ when out ‘trick or treating’.
If someone has a ‘no trick or treat’ card in their window, or no one answers the door, it means they do not want to participate. No one should feel obliged to answer their door and trick and treaters should just walk away.
Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Elliott Sharrard-Williams, said:
“The behaviour of some could badly affect others, particularly the elderly and vulnerable members of the community. There are also safety issues for people taking part.”
Police and Special Constables will be out and about to help keep young people and our communities safe during the Halloween celebrations. They will target those few who become intent on acting anti-socially, harassing residents or damaging property.
“We would encourage parents to speak to their children pointing out the potential dangers and how they should behave,” added Supt Sharrard-Williams.
If your children are planning to go ‘trick or treating’ please follow some simple guidelines to keep them safe and to avoid them behaving anti-socially:
• an adult should always accompany young children making sure they wear lighting coloured clothing and being very careful crossing the road
• only go in well-lit areas and carry a torch so everyone can be seen
• unless pre-arranged don’t let children visit elderly or vulnerable people
• keep ‘tricks’ within the law. Anything that results in damage or other offences will be dealt with accordingly
• children should only knock on the doors of people they know and never go inside someone’s home
• children of all ages should always stay in groups, remembering road safety.
[box type=”info” align=”aligncenter” ]The ‘no trick or treat’ window cards are available from local police stations or can be downloaded from the force website at www.staffordshire.police.uk/
