Police urge safety on Halloween

Halloween is rapidly approaching.

It's the one holiday of the year children are encouraged to wear crazy outfits, roam the streets after dark and beg strangers for candy.

From handing out candy to talking with children on how to stay safe, local law enforcement officers play an active role when it comes to the haunted holiday.

The Hanover Borough Police Department is steadily involved with local neighborhood watch groups and provides safety talks in schools, church groups and civic organizations such as Boy Scout troops, said Chief Dwayne Smith.

"It can be a fun time for children," Smith said. "It's also busy time of the year where people are out attending special events.

"If people do not have a heightened sense of awareness, they may become vulnerable."

In addition to proactively speaking with the community about staying safe on Halloween, police officers increase their presence on the holiday, specifically their foot and bike patrols.

There have been incidents such as smashing pumpkins and ripping lights from houses leading up to Halloween, but nothing excessive, police said.

As a precaution, however, officers encourage people to put bicycles, lawn equipment and other valuables in a secure location and to lock sheds and garage doors.

"We want people to have fun, so we gotta do what we gotta do to make it safe," said Chief Jim Laughlin of Penn Township Police. "It's a very big, busy night and the kids look forward to it."

Associated Press