Lake Elsinore, Wildomar Police Departments Issue Halloween Safety Tips

The Lake Elsinore and Wildomar police departments would like to provide the public tips for Halloween safety.

Everyone wants to have a safe and happy Halloween for themselves, their guests, and their children. Using safety tips and common sense can help you make the most of your Halloween season and make it as enjoyable for your kids as it is for you!

Unfortunately, anytime a child has an accident, it’s tragic. The last thing that you want to happen is for your child to be hurt on a holiday, it would forever live in the minds of the child and the family.

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to  accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults at this time of the year sometimes  makes them forget to be careful. Simple safety steps do a lot to stop any tragedies from happening. Here are a few helpful tips and ideas to make the most of Halloween holiday.

ADULTS

• Welcome “trick-or-treaters” with your porch lights and any exterior lights on.
• Patrol your street occasionally to discourage speeding motorists, act of vandalism and crimes against children.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to law enforcement immediately.
• Keep dogs and other pets away from doors so children will not become frightened or injured.

MOTORISTS

• Exercise extreme caution when driving a vehicle. Be on the alert for excited children, whose vision may be obscured by masks, darting out into traffic.
• Motorists should avoid all unnecessary travel on Halloween evening, and when driving they should drive slowly and be alert.
• Many accidents occur when motorists are backing vehicles out of driveways, unaware of the presence of small children.

PARENTS – TELL TRICK-OR-TREATERS

• Be back home at a specific time (Set a time limit for your children to “trick-or-treat”). Also designate a specific route for them to take.
• Never trick-or-treat alone. Go with at least two friends for the entire evening.
• Carry a flashlight and use it so drivers can see you and you can see hazards in the street as well as other people.
• Cross only at street corners, never between parked cars, and never diagonally across an intersection.
• Look in all directions before crossing the street, and obey all traffic signals. Walk- never run, across the street, and use sidewalks, not the street, for walking.
• Do not accept rides from strangers.
• Do not take short cuts through backyards, alleys, or parks.
• Do not go inside anyone’s home. Remain on the porch/front door area at all times.

TREATS

• Tell children not to eat treats until parents have inspected them.
• Do not give homemade or unwrapped treats to children.
• Discard any homemade or unwrapped treats.

COSTUMES
A note to parents:

• Make sure your children’s costumes are not flammable.
• Do not permit your children to use cumbersome, floor length or vision-impairing costumes.
• In lieu of masks, face makeup is recommended.
• Wear comfortable and safe shoes.

NOTE: USE COMMON SENSE, CAUTION AND ADULT SUPERVISION TO MAKE THIS HALLOWEEN THE BEST EVER. HAVE FUN, BE SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

If you have any questions, you can contact Sergeant Rick Garcia at (951) 245-3300.