By Matthew Miller | SDUN Reporter
Every Halloween, ghosts and goblins, and tricks and treats adorn the streets of our Uptown neighborhoods. However, there are some safety rules for spooks of all ages to adhere.
Standard safety tips include: look both ways before crossing the street, take special care in what kind of candy you eat, never go into a strangers home alone (even if it is a haunted house) and make sure your costume has reflector strips during those haunted walks down dark streets. Like any night of the year, do not drink and drive.
San Diego Police Department veteran traffic officer and South Park resident Don Albright advises extra precaution during Halloween and added incisive tips that can only come from years of street experience.
“I’ve seen it all,” he said. “The first thing I suggest is don’t do anything alone.” From approaching a house for trick-or-treating to a convenient store for a purchase, going in groups is key.
Additionally, Albright explained crimes are perpetrated during Halloween due to the false sense of incognito wearing a mask might give. “People will do stupid things wearing a Halloween mask,” he said. “There are a lot of robberies that night because of the costumes.”
Albright added, “You might be surprised what people are willing to do with a mask on their face.”
Albright said precaution with a mask goes both ways. Be conscious of storeowners who might mistake you for a true villain. He advised taking off the mask so storeowners do not take their own precautionary actions.
Molly Mueller, manager of Buffalo Breath Costumes Company in Mission Hills warned, “Don’t wear a mask you can’t see out of.”
Albright also suggested if a costume calls for a gun or a sword, be sure to paint a strip of bright color on the fake weapon to ensure it is not mistaken for the real thing.
Other safety tips revolve around increased pedestrian activity. Driving slowly down streets where children and pets traverse is a must. Take extra time to look both ways before turning your car onto another street.
Another concern for Albright is people taking advantage of the elderly. Often very cautious about allowing strangers into their home, Albright noted that elderly people may have a false sense of security because of the night’s presumed folly.
“They won’t open their doors all year, ever, even for police officers, but they will on Halloween,” Albright explained.
The spook of Halloween has one merchant making calculated changes for that night. Grant’s Marketplace, located at 2953 Beech Street in South Park, will change their closing hour from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. that night. They have experienced less theft as a result of closing early in past years.
“We close early because we have noticed over the years kids coming in and buying cartons of eggs,” added South Park resident and Grant’s Marketplace Manager Aileen Rodosevich. “There [are] definitely more kids around the neighborhood that night.”
Increased police patrols will be in force the night of Halloween but Albright warns that everyone should still be alert. “Most of it is really common sense,” he said, “but none of it to be taken lightly.”
