CULLMAN – It’s Halloween; time for trick or treating! It’s important to have fun, but it’s just as important to stay safe, especially kids. Cullman Police Chief Kenny Culpepper and Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry were happy to provide some advice and information for parents.
Culpepper said he thinks is perhaps a better, safer alternative to traditional trick or treating.
"The best form of Halloween safety is to take the kids to participate in trunk or treats. There are churches and lots of different organizations that are having trunk or treats," he said. "The best thing about them is that they're supervised, it's all in one location, you don't have children that are going house to house to house and you don't know who's in the house. So by far that is the best way to trick or treat; the kids love it and the people running them love it and it makes it a much, much safer environment."
Costume designs were a concern for Culpepper as well, especially when it comes to the color schemes.
"If someone does want to do the more traditional type of trick or treating, the costumes need to have visibility in mind. Make sure you have a costume with some bright colors or make sure you have some kind of reflective material or something that glows to help visibility," said Culpepper. "You also want to be sure there are no trip hazards or fire hazards with the costumes."
Gentry shared some of the same sentiments for parents and kids that'll be out this Halloween.
"Our main priority is community safety. One of the things we like to prioritize is for parents to stay with their kids and not let them go off without you," Gentry said. "You also want to stay in well-lit areas and make sure your kids are wearing something reflective or easy to see. There are a lot of churches and other places doing trunk or treats and those are really good to take your kids to as well."
Gentry is also calling on citizens not participating in the festivities to be more aware of their surroundings as they get around town tonight.
“For all of the drivers and people that will be out on Halloween, just keep an eye out for the kids that'll be walking around, especially in neighborhood areas,” he said. “You need to watch your speed and just be careful and be aware that there will be kids out."
So whether you or your kids are trick or treating door-to-door or attending a local trunk-or-treat event, remember to be safe…and have fun!
Click here for a list of local events happening tonight.
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