Lake Eola Heights Historic Neighborhood Association

Halloween Safety Tips

Commissioner Sheehan and the Orlando Police Department encourages safety and supervision during the annual Trick-or-Treat season. It is especially important for parents to adhere to a few safety rules for their children when they are tick-or-treating.

• Know your children's route
• Take a flashlight
• Be sure costumes, shoes and treat bags are safe
• Remind kids not to enter stranger's homes or cars
• Set rules about not eating treats until kids get home. Be sure to inspect all treats before allowing kids to eat them
• Candy that has been opened should be thrown away. Do not eat any homemade candy and inspect fruit closely
• Remember, drivers have a hard time seeing people at dusk
• Never cross between parked cars
• Watch open flames from jack-o-lanterns as they can catch costumes and long wigs on fire
• Make sure that fake knives and swords are made from cardboard or other flexible material to avoid injury or worse by having them mistaken for the real thing

It is also important to ensure that your home is safe and accessible to trick-or-treaters. As adults there are some very simple things we can do to make the evening safe for everyone.

• Turn your porch lights on
• Move lit jack-o-lanterns off porches where kids get crowded if they are trick-or-treating
• Remove hazards from your yard that might present a hazard
• Drive slowly all evening. You never know what creature may suddenly cross your path.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the police

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

For more information regarding crime prevention, please contact Officer Jim Young at (407)246-2489 or the Orlando Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Unit at (407)246-3773