Halloween is a time for ghosts and ghouls to come out, but living police want to keep them safe. ADVERTISING Halloween is a time for ghosts and ghouls to come out, but living police want to keep them safe. “Trick-or-treating
Halloween is a time for ghosts and ghouls to come out, but living police want to keep them safe.
“Trick-or-treating is not how it used to be,” Officer Kuilee Dela Cruz said.
He is one of the officers assigned to the Community Policing unit, who are providing safety directions for residents and keiki.
“This year’s kind of a bit different as it falls on a weekend,” Dela Cruz said.
One option is going to organized events at churches, shopping centers and community areas.
These have the advantage of being “more controllable,” said William Vickery.
The events often include costume contests, climbing walls and other activities beyond that of gathering treats.
Events in parking lots are becoming more common, often hosted by churches.
“There’s no moving vehicles in the parking lot,” Vickery said.
And it’s a solid way to enjoy the time without too much risk or walking, he said.
“If it’s a well-planned event, the kids have a great time,” he said.
But the phenomenon of events has not ended the joy of door-to-door efforts.
Dela Cruz said having connections with neighbors can make trips well worth the time.
But it does carry with it a few additional safety thoughts.
“Kids are running all over the place,” he said.
Dela Cruz suggested that parents driving along with their kids leave their hazard lights on. This helps distinguish them from cars that are simply pulling over and alerts other drivers to the possibility of children darting out in the road.
In some ways it helps to think of treat-or-treating vehicles as school buses, he said.
The physical area of a neighborhood is important as well, he said. If it’s well lit and drivers keep their speed low, it’s safe, he said.
But some locations are simply unsafe to walk in, he said.
He suggested checking the local sex offender lists in the neighborhood as well.
The state maintains sexoffenders.ehawaii.gov for that purpose.
When to get out can be a delicate decision, he said.
When the event has been on a weeknight, Dela Cruz said the peak times were when the parents got home from work until about 8 p.m.
The ending time is also from when homes run out of candy, he said. The rising cost of candy has sharply limited how much people are willing to stock, he said.
Some organizations offer a trick-or-treat time. Many also have activities, magic shows and a costume parade.
The Kealakekua Ranch Center will offer trick-or-treating from 4 to 5 p.m. on Halloween.
Queen’s MarketPlace will host an event from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday.
The Shops at Mauna Lani will hold its event from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Keauhou Shopping Center holds one from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Kona Baptist Church will hold its from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
King’s Shops has its event at 4:30 to after 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
