Halloween Safety Tips from the Indiana State Police

Local Sources - It’s that time of year when kids are looking forward to dressing up in their favorite costumes and spending time with family and friends trick-or-treating! Although everyone loves to get lots of candy and have fun, the most important thing is health and safety while trick-or-treating, and making sure everyone gets home safely! The Indiana State Police - Bloomington District would like to offer a few safety tips for parents and children to consider before heading out to trick-or-treat:

• Know and abide by the appropriate dates and times your local community has established for trick-or-treating.
• Make sure that your child has a flashlight, glow stick, or reflective material on their costume, so he/she can be seen clearly during the low light hours.
• Children should always be accompanied by an adult when trick-or-treating, or at a minimum- use the buddy system, and have a plan if groups get separated (charged cellphone / ask an adult for help).
• Please walk on the sidewalks and not in the roadway and make sure that you look in both directions before crossing the roadway.
• Only go trick-or-treating at houses where the front porch light is on.
• Children should NEVER enter the house of a stranger.
• All treats should be inspected by an adult before being consumed. 
• And for all motorists- we ask that you slow down and drive with caution in our area neighborhoods. Pay close attention to children that are not paying attention!! 

For more information on how to protect and keep your child safe, please visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) website at https://www.missingkids.org/education/kidsmartz.  

Have fun, be safe, and enjoy the family time together while out trick-or-treating this Halloween!