Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl announced at Monday’s City Council meeting that trick-or-treating hours for Halloween in the city this year would be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday.
And Evanston police have issued a series of tips to promote Halloween safety.
They encourage parents to:
- Accompany young children while “Trick or Treating.”
- Carry a flashlight, cell phone, and possibly a first aid kit.
- Plan a route with older children and agree on a time to “check in” with family.
- Never enter a person’s home.
- Cross streets at intersections only.
- Do not allow your children to eat any candy unless checked by an adult first. Any unwrapped items should be discarded.
And they suggest that Halloween costumes:
- Should be bright and contain reflective material.
- Should include a glow stick or glow necklace to be more visible.
- Should not cover a child’s head or prevent them from seeing a vehicle or other hazard.
- Should not contain guns or weapons, because they can look real in the dark.
- And leave pets at home. They may frighten easily and be more likely to bite.
The police also suggest:
- Before allowing your child to knock on any door, become better informed, by checking the Illinois Sex Offender Registry website and learning who lives in the houses you plan to visit.
- Notify your Neighborhood Watch Groups of the “Trick-or-Treating” times, and have them walk the neighborhoods to look out for children and suspicious activity.
- Remind children to have respect for their neighborhood. Although these activities may seem like fun, smashing pumpkins, “egging,” spray painting and spraying property with shaving cream are all illegal activities that damage a person’s property.
- Additionally, drinking in public and drinking under the age of 21 is against the law.
Finally, police say, if you’re out driving on Halloween, children will excited and may be less cautious while walking. Drivers should be more cautious while traveling through residential streets. Drive slow and with your lights on in order to see children in costume even before dusk.