HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

As all of your children have probably told you already, today is Halloween.  Trick or treating in the entire Lansing area, including Meridian Township, will take place between 6 pm and 8 pm. 

MTPD will be in your neighborhoods keeping your kids safe.  If you see a police car parked feel free to approach the car and ask the officer for a special treat!  See the Safety Information below for tips on how to stay safe tonight.  Dress warm and have fun!!!

Halloween may be a fun holiday for kids, but for parents, trick-or-treat time can be a little scary. Concerns about the safety of children can darken the day more quickly than a black cat … but not to worry! To make Halloween a treat for all, follow these safety tips:

TRICK-OR-TREATING

                        

·         Make sure older children trick-or-treat with friends. Together, map out a safe route so parents know where you are. Children should only stop at familiar homes, with the outside lights on 

·         Try to trick-or-treat when it’s still light out. If it’s dark, be sure to carry flashlights.  Glow sticks are available at the Meridian Township Police Department’s Halloween Open House

·         Remind kids not to enter a stranger’s home or get into a stranger’s car

Parents and kids can avoid trick-or-treating troubles entirely by organizing a Halloween costume party with treats, games, contests, music, scary stories, and much more. Make your Halloween party the place to be! Schools, Police and Fire Departments, libraries and civic groups in many communities organize “Haunted Houses” and other Halloween festivities for families

Make Sure Your Kids Dress Up Safely

        Use costumes that are flame retardant so the little ones are not in danger near burning jack-o-lanterns and other fire hazards

• ·         Consider make-up instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable. More importantly, they can obstruct a child’s vision, which could prove dangerous while crossing streets and going up steps 
• ·         Keep the length of costumes short to prevent trips, falls and other bumps in the night  
• ·         Make sure kids wear light colors or put reflective tape on their clothing/costumes 
• ·         Trick-or-treaters should always be in groups so they are not a tempting target for real life goblins
• ·         Young children should have a parent with them  

TREATS

·         Children need to know not to eat their treats until they get home. One way to keep trick-or-treaters from digging in while they are still out is to feed them a meal or snack beforehand

·         Check out all treats at home in a well- lighted area

·         What to eat? Only unopened candies and other treats that are in original wrappers. Don’t forget to inspect fruit and homemade goodies for anything suspicious

"UN-Haunting" Your House and Neighborhood

·         Welcome kids by having lights on 

·         Remove hazards from your yard 

·         Report suspicious activity to Police 

·         Ask Neighborhood Watch to be alert

·         Halloween “blood and gore” is harmless stuff for the most part. But sometimes dressing up as a superhero, a swashbuckling pirate, or an alien from outer space -- coupled with the excitement of Halloween -- brings out aggressive behavior. Even fake knives, swords, guns and other costume accessories can hurt people. If these objects are part of a child’s costume, make sure they are made from cardboard or other flexible materials 

·         Drive slowly in neighborhoods