Halloween safety should be a priority for every Arizona family

Vince Perez-Mazzola

Submitted photo

Halloween is a night filled with excitement and community, but it also comes with real risks. Between the rush of costumes, candy and crowded streets, it’s important for families to remember that Halloween activities primarily take place after dark, often in unfamiliar neighborhoods, and involve children navigating busy roads and interacting with strangers.

With planning and awareness, families can enjoy the holiday while staying safe and confident. As a longtime safety instructor, here are my essential safety tips:

Trick-or-treating

Stay in a group: Children should never trick-or-treat alone. If you are not accompanying your child, make sure they go out in a group and stick to well-lit, familiar neighborhoods.

Plan out a route and set a curfew: Agree on a trick-or-treating route and set boundaries and a curfew. Make sure everyone in the group knows where to meet if separated.

Stay in touch with phones or AirTags: If your child has a cell phone, charge it fully and enable location tracking before they go out. Consider placing an AirTag in younger kids’ costumes or bags. These tools allow you to monitor their location in real time.

Teach stranger danger: Remind kids to stay on sidewalks, to not under any circumstance enter unfamiliar homes and to be extra cautious around strangers. Before heading out, review your rules and make sure they know your phone number by heart.

Make costumes visible at night: Dark costumes may look cool, but they’re hard to see at night. Add reflective tape, glow sticks or flashing lights to costumes or bags. Bright face paint is also safer than masks, which can limit vision. Consider giving your child a flashlight for as well.

Protect your home while you’re out

Use your security system: If you’re away during trick-or-treating hours, activate your security cameras and check in remotely. Most modern systems allow for real-time monitoring via smartphone.

Secure valuables: Halloween can attract pranksters. Lock car doors, bring packages inside and keep expensive decorations close to the house.

Leave your lights on: A well-lit home discourages mischief and signals to trick-or-treaters that you’re participating in the holiday.

Additional safety tips

Talk to your neighbors: A quick check-in with neighbors can help coordinate safety efforts. If everyone is on the same page, it’s easier to spot unusual behavior or help a lost child.

Be mindful of pets: Halloween can be stressful for animals. Keep pets indoors and away from the front door to avoid accidental escapes.

Build a safety kit: Whether you’re walking the neighborhood or waiting at home, having a Halloween safety kit on hand can be a game-changer. Consider including:

• First aid supplies
• Additional flashlights, glow sticks and reflective tape for visibility and signaling
• A whistle to alert others in case of emergency
• A portable charger to keep phones powered for communication and tracking

Editor's note: Vince Perez-Mazzola is C2 Tactical director of training. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.