Spooky Safety

As kids and teens gear up for Halloween festivities, so does the Ridgewood Police Department.

For Halloween and Mischief Night, an all-hands-on-deck policy exists for the police as it attempts to keep a lid on spooky shenanigans. 

At the Oct. 28 Village Council meeting, Police Chief John LiPuma detailed 12-hour shifts lasting from either 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or noon to midnight for nearly all police personnel. Those shifts apply to both Oct. 30 and 31.

Resident Christine Arnold raised concerns over Mischief Night at the Oct. 14 Village Council meeting.

"I love Ridgewood, it's a great place to raise my children," she said. "But we need to step up our Mischief Night coverage."

LiPuma talked to Arnold and eased her concerns, he said.

Deputy Mayor Keith Killion—a former police chief himself—said officers keep a good eye on nuisance and will take in teen pranksters. Often, their parents come get them, and a discussion the next day determines what the damages and punishments are.

Other than a curfew suggested by Arnold, Killion said the village comes pretty close to her proposed "zero tolerance policy."

On top of police involvement, Acting Village Manager Heather Mailander said PSE&G would remove all equipment on sidewalks for Oct. 31 to guarantee safe pathways.

After the meeting, LiPuma offered several tips for safe trick-or-treating:

• Costumes should have some reflective items to avoid blending into night. Even black costumes should reflect in some way.
• Cut back on impaired vision by avoiding masks with small eyeholes. LiPuma advised that parents widen holes if they feel sightline to be restricted.
• After trick-or-treating, have parents thoroughly check through candy. Any unwrapped or suspicious candy should immediately be thrown away.
• Any strange activity should be reported to the police.

Police have gone through the schools giving these and other tips, according to LiPuma.