Guest Author - Vance Rowe

When people think about Halloween, crime isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, crime is very prevalent during what should be a night of fun and stomach aches.

CABBAGE NIGHT or DEVIL NIGHT

Let’s begin with the night before Halloween. This night has a sundry of names from “cabbage night” to “devil night” to “Hell’s night” along with others. Ne’er-do-wells use this as an excuse to cause trouble. Houses get egged or toilet papered, cars are covered with eggs or shaving cream and other property is damaged. Cabbage night has many origins where it started back in the 1800’s where the kids from town would go into farmers’ fields and gather rotten cabbage stumps and smear the windows of the hated people in the town. Other uses for cabbage night are messy fun where kids hit each other with eggs, rotten vegetables, shaving cream, etc…

However over the years Cabbage night or mischief night has evolved into nothing but senseless vandalism. In a lot of towns and cities, stores will not sell eggs and shaving cream to teen agers on the night before Halloween and police patrol the streets more often on this night. It may be fun to egg the old lady’s house who doesn’t give candy out on Halloween but it is a crime and you will be arrested if you are caught and more than likely will have to clean up the mess. A lot of neighborhoods have started patrols with adults armed with cell phones either sitting outside of their homes or walking the streets looking out hooligan antics.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Zombies, witches, monsters and princesses join together on this night to go from house to house in hopes of getting a lot of candy. While this night should be fun, crime is possible on this night as well. Children should go out with a buddy or buddies and at least one parent or adult neighbor. Costumes should have some kind of reflector tape on them so they are seen by oncoming motorists. If you do not have any reflector tape then the kids or adults in a group should have some kind of flashlight, glow sticks, or flashing lights. Kids should not go up to houses that are dark or have the porch light off as these people are not handing out candy or are all out of candy.

Kids can be hurt by tripping on something or stepping on something when they approach darkened door steps and porches. Kids can even be snatched b kidnappers or pedophiles. All treats should be carefully checked by adults before eaten by kids. Open candy wrappers should be tossed out, apples should be cut open, and anything not factory sealed should be deemed suspicious.

If you do not want to go out trick or treating because of safety issues, have a Halloween party at your house or go to someone else’s party. A lot of churches have parties with games and candy so kids can safely enjoy this night as well. Whatever you decide to do or decide how to spend this night, please be extremely vigilant because…

DO NOT GO OUT THINKING THAT NOTHING CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE IT CAN!

Also, most states and cities have designated times for trick or treating and can be anywhere from 5PM to 9pm or anything in between.

Please be safe this Halloween.