The big night is here for kids of all ages and the Barrie police are reminding everyone to be cautious on the city’s streets, as well as vigilant when opening candy.
One of the best aspects of Halloween as a kid is running up and down sidewalks at night with friends in search of the big candy score. That inevitably leads to little ones full of excitement darting across streets to catch up with friends.
Barrie police Const. Sarah Bamford says officers will be working throughout the city tonight to ensure everyone's safety, especially those who will be trick-or-treating.
She hopes tonight’s fun is equalled by last year’s stats.
“Overall, last year was a safe night for everyone,” Bamford told BarrieToday. “We did not have any reported motor-vehicle collisions involving pedestrians, and that can be attributed to motorists and pedestrians doing their part to keep everyone safe (by)(by) adhering to traffic signals, stops signs and driving with extra due care and attention.”
Parents are asked to do their part as well and remember that making sure your kids are visible is extremely important. While the kids may fuss about altering their perfectly dark costume, reflective tape is available in nearly every Halloween specialty store as well as most hardware stores.
The tradition of walking door to door and having to cross streets is as old as the traditional waiting game kids have to do when they get home before eating the loot they have acquired. While there are limited incidents of candy tampering, Bamford says it still happens and one time is one too many.
“Last year, we had two reported incidents with regards to tampered candy; both incidents were reported to police immediately,” Bamford said. “The investigations did not result in any charges or arrests, although it had been determined in one case that a Tootsie Roll had melatonin inserted inside the candy, which is a supplement used to counter the effects of jet lag or help someone sleep if they have an unusual work schedule or suffer from a circadian rhythm disorder.
"This supplement can be accessed over the counter at any pharmacy or health food store," she added. "The second candy, a Tootsie Roll again, a foreign metal object was located inside. In both incidents, the candy had not been ingested.”
While a night of trekking around the neighbourhood with little ones can be exhausting for kids and parents, police urge parents to carefully examine their children’s candy prior to consumption. Any candy that appears to have been opened or home-made should not be consumed and should be thrown away.
While Barrie police does stress safety and awareness, Bamford hopes everyone has a fun night and a good haul of treats. The friendly face of the local police service told BarrieToday that she too is dressed for the special night.
“I am dressed up as a police officer!"
