Don’t be spooked this Halloween

With Halloween fast approaching, police are reminding people make sure
they spend their time trick-or-treating responsibly.

Many residents enjoy Halloween and view it as harmless fun, but for
others it can be distressing receiving visits from unexpected callers,
particularly the elderly and those that live alone.

The neighbourhood police teams in the Thames Valley will be undertaking
high-visibility patrols over the Halloween period to deal with any
anti-social behaviour. They also work with schools and parents to reduce
the incidents of nuisance and criminal damage that can happen at this
time of year.

You can download and print a No trick-or-treat flyer from the Thames
Valley Police website and display it in a window or visit your local
station to pick up a copy.

If you or your children see this flyer displayed please move on to the
next house. Most people will have a pumpkin or Halloween decorations on
display to welcome callers.

We will also be encouraging people to watch our Click Your Trick
(opens new window) film which highlights the consequences of anti-social
behaviour. The film features a teenager who was convicted of arson after
he and his friend put a firework through a family home as a prank in 2008.
The prank went horribly wrong with the firework setting the house on fire.
Luckily nobody was seriously injured.

We want everybody to have fun during Halloween and Bonfire night, but
dont want children and teenagers to be influenced by others into doing
things that may seem minor at the time. Please remember, your actions
could have a massive impact on not only people inside their house but to
your life as well.

Dont let Halloween become a terrifying experience for all the wrong
reasons, warn fire fighters. John Robinson, station Manager from
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service community safety team, said: We
dont want to stop people enjoying Halloween, but we do want them to
celebrate safely. There is nothing more terrifying than having a fire at
home or seeing your clothes catch fire.

Just follow this safety advice for a safer Halloween: never make
costumes from flammable materials, always check costumes and masks are
labelled as flame resistant, keep candles away from children and ensure
they are extinguished at night, and do not overload electricity sockets
with lightings.

If you are trick-or-treating this year:

Dont knock where you see a No Trick-or-Treat poster.
Be visible and stick to well-lit streets.
Although Halloween is meant to be spooky, be careful not to frighten
people.
Plan your trick-or-treat route before you go and let an adult know where

youll be going and what time you will be back.
Go with an adult when possible.

If at any point you do feel nervous or unsafe:

Dont open your door if youre unsure who is there. Use your spy-hole,
look out of a window, and use your door chain if you do decide to open
your door.
Have a contact number of a close relative or good neighbour by your
telephone, just in case you need to phone them.
If you are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, let your coordinator
know that you will be on your own at Halloween. If you are a coordinator,
please identify people in your scheme that may be vulnerable and offer
them reassurance.

Thames Valley Police will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour at any
time of the year.

To report anti-social behaviour please call the 24 hour non-emergency
number 101. If it is a crime in progress, call 999 immediately.

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