Safe Florida wants your Halloween trick-or-treating to be fun – not frightening

With Halloween festivities ramping up and countless children planning to go trick-or-treating next week, our friends at the FDLE Office of Public Information, Gretl Plessinger, Jessica Cary and Jeremy Burns, remind Historic City News subscribers to stay safe in the coming days.

Know where your children are, who they are with, and how to contact them. Ensure they know how to contact you as well. Make sure that young children are accompanied by a trusted adult while trick-or-treating. Set clear limits on where your children can trick-or-treat and what time they should be home.

Download and use FDLE’s free mobile app from the App Store or the Google Play store. The app provides a number of public safety features, including the ability to search the Florida Sex Offender Registry, to see active AMBER and Missing Child Alerts, to search wanted persons and stolen vehicle information, and to submit anonymous tips about criminal activity.

• Teach your child their name, address and telephone number, and make sure they know how to call 911 in an emergency. Caution them not to give out personal information to strangers, and not to go into a house or vehicle with a stranger.

• Teach your child about traffic safety before going trick-or-treating. Walk on sidewalks if available, and only cross roads when and where it is safe to do so. The use of bright clothing and a flashlight is recommended to ensure maximum visibility to vehicles, especially later in the evening.

• Use caution when picking costumes for yourself or your children. Avoid masks that impair the wearer’s sight or hearing and beware of potential tripping or snagging hazards presented by costumes with long flowing capes or gowns.

• Also, be aware that some places may have prohibitions on certain costume types. Masks may be prohibited at a shopping mall or a theme park, for example.

For additional tips on keeping your children safe, visit the Safe Florida Tips for Parents website.