By MATT PIKE
Halloween is coming soon.
As you prepare your children to get out and trick or treat, the St. Joseph Police Department wants you to take steps to keep your children safe as they go out.
Police Chief Paul Luster says to make sure children have visible or bright costumes
"If it’s not bright, add some reflective tape to it, parents add some reflective tape to that,” Luster says on the KFEQmunnity show. “Or kids like carrying the glowsticks with them so put those somewhere.”
Luster would like children to trick or treat in groups.
"Hopefully you’re in an area where there’s sidewalks, you know use the sidewalks, stay on the well-lit streets, watch for cars obviously,” Luster says.
Luster also advises drivers to be on the lookout for trick or treaters and says if you are out driving, be patient, and stay vigilant as you travel.
"Cause you’re going to see just such an influx in pedestrian traffic, so nobody wants to see a tragedy anytime, ” Luster explains. “So just slow down and stay alert, know there’s children out there and they’re excited, it’s Halloween, they’re getting all kinds of candy, so very innocently one of them could dart out into the street being excited.”
Luster says the department is also again working with residents in the popular St. Joseph trick or treating area along Ashland Avenue.
“We put the cones down the middle of the streets just to kind of slow everybody down, and volunteers help us with that, and then we put the electronic sign boards at each end of Ashland just as an extra alert to motorists that there’s a lot of trick or treaters on this street,” Luster says. “You know from about 5:30 to 9:30 I think that there’s literally thousands of kids on that street.”
Luster says to be patient as you drive and to avoid distractions as you travel.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.