Happy Halloween! Sheriff's Office Safety Tips

Hope everyone will have a great halloween this year.

The San Mateo County Sheriff Department put together a list to help make this year a safe and fun halloween for everyone.  I have attached the email from the San Mateo County Sheriff Department for you to have a safe halloween this year.

Happy Halloween!

Below is the message from the San Mateo County Sheriff:

As we approach Halloween, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office would like to advise coastal residents to be cognizant of traffic and safety concerns during this seasonal time.

With fall also comes the start of the holiday season. Let’s help those little witches, ghouls and goblins get their treats safely. Halloween is a fun time of year, so let’s make sure it’s a safe holiday for all who participate. The excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful. However, you can make this Halloween season fun and enjoyable for your kids and neighbors by making sure you purchase a safe costume for your child, ensuring your child is extra cautious while trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, providing a light for your child and reporting any suspicious activity or person to the police.  


Attached is a flyer regarding Halloween Safety Tips which should help keep your Halloween trouble free. Should you need the assistance of the Sheriff's Office while in our jurisdiction - please remember to program our Sheriff's Dispatch phone number into your cell phone for quicker response; Sheriff's Dispatch is 650-363-4911.


PREPARATION:

• Purchase several connectable “glow sticks” to wear as necklaces and bracelets.
• Make sure kids wear light colors and/or put reflective tape on their clothing.
• Keep costumes a short length to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night.
• Use make-up instead of masks if possible. Masks are hot and uncomfortable and obstruct vision.
• Make sure the kids wear flame retardant costumes so burning jack-o-lanterns don’t ignite them.
• Create a map of a safe trick-or-treating route and set a time limit for your kids to return home.

Halloween Costume Safety

Trick-or-Treating Tips

• Plan your route ahead of time.
• Trick or treat in familiar neighborhoods.
• Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries after dark.
• Take along a cell phone for emergencies.
• Wear identification that's easy to read.
• Always trick or treat in groups, accompanied by an adult.
• Follow a curfew and take a watch easily seen in the dark.
• Stay on the sidewalks and out of the streets. Cross only at intersections and designated crosswalks.
• Walk. No running.
• Don't trample through flower beds and gardens.
• Watch out for open flames in jack-o-Lanterns.
• Walk with your head up and be aware of your surroundings.
• Only visit well lit houses. Don't stop at dark houses.
• Don't enter any houses unless you know the people.
• Carry a spare Halloween bag, in case yours breaks or you fill your original one.
• Don't approach unfamiliar pets and animals.
• Don't cut across yards and stay out of backyards.
• Follow traffic signals and don't jaywalk.
• Always watch for cars backing up or turning.
• Review the "stop, drop and roll" procedure in case your costume catches on fire.
• Never accept rides from strangers.
• Respect other people and their property.
• Be polite and say "thank you."
• Don't eat any candy until it's inspected for tampering under bright lights.
• Avoid candy that has loose wrappings, is unwrapped, has puncture holes, or is homemade.
• Small children should not be allowed hard candy they may choke on.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to an adult or the police.

CHILDREN:

• Carry a flashlight and always keep a safe distance from moving cars.
• Cross at street corners, NOT diagonally across an intersection and NEVER between parked cars!
• Look in ALL directions before crossing; obey all traffic signals; walk and NEVER run.
• Wear a glow stick necklace and wear glow stick bracelets – These glow sticks have saved lives.
• Do not take shortcuts through back yards, alleys or parks. Only visit homes with porch lights on.
• Don’t go inside anyone’s home; instead remain on the porch at all times.
• Don’t accept rides from cars with strangers.
• Don’t eat any treats until your parents have inspected them.
• Discard any homemade or unwrapped treats.

PARENTS:

• Clear all outdoor obstructions such as ladders, hoses, and toys from your property and walkway.
• Welcome trick-or-treaters with your porch lights and all exterior lights turned on early.
• Make sure your “trick-or-treat” rules are clear to your children BEFORE they leave the house.
• Try to “trick or treat” while it is still light outside.
• Carry a flashlight and use a powerful flashlight if at all possible – it will command attention better.
• Parents should always accompany young children while trick or treating.
• Older kids should “trick-or-treat” with friends that are known and familiar to parents.
• Trick or treaters should be in groups so they aren’t a tempting target for real-life goblins.

MOTORISTS:

• Halloween is one of the nation’s MOST DANGEROUS nights to drive a car. Use extreme caution.
• Consider driving at least five miles per hour UNDER the speed LIMIT in residential areas.
• Accept that you will be late to your destination; Call them, excuse yourself and drive extra slow.

PETS:

• Costumes and special effects can be stressful on pets – they can misunderstand Halloween time.
• Electrical cords from special effects make tempting chew toys, or animals may become frightened of the “monsters.” Take pets into a garage to calm their curiosity and cool their protective instincts.
• Halloween treats can be deadly to dogs and cats. Shiny foil wraps attract animals and can cause intestinal distress. Chocolate, (especially dark) contain theobromine, a stimulant for humans, but causes shaking, seizures, heart issues and death for dogs. Sugar free candy and gum with Xylitol can cause liver damage, blood pressure drop and death. One gram of Xylitol can require veterinary treatment for a 22 pound dog. Raisins & grapes also can also have a poisonous effect and have caused kidney failure in dogs. Keep these dangerous goodies away from pets!

Get more information on the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office at www.SMCSHERIFF.com