EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As Halloween approaches, the East Grand Rapids community is focusing on safety preparations for one of the year's busiest nights, which will coincide with a high school playoff football game.
With trick-or-treating, families walking through neighborhoods like Gaslight Village, and the East Grand Rapids vs. Cedar Springs playoff game at Pioneer Stadium all happening simultaneously, local officials and parents are taking extra precautions.
"It's a different world than when we were younger. Just be smart, be in a group, keep your eye on your children," said James Panter, an East Grand Rapids parent. "We don't want anything bad to happen."
Officer Troy Brown from the East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety outlined the challenging timing for the community.
"Our Halloween night goes from 6 PM to 8 PM football game starts at seven. So we're right in the middle of everything," Brown said.
Brown identified visibility as one of the department's biggest concerns for trick-or-treaters.
"Make sure that they have some type of reflection on their costume or their jacket or their hat or something like that, or they have a glow stick or a little flashlight, something that draws attention," he said.
With sunset occurring around 6:30 p.m., Brown recommends starting trick-or-treating early when possible.
"The darker it gets, the more dangerous it gets," Brown said.
Traffic safety measures
The officer warned drivers to remain especially vigilant on main streets like Lake Drive and Breton.
"Expect them to dart out in the road, not paying attention to things like that," Brown said.
Due to expected crowds and limited mobility, Brown recommends avoiding e-bikes on Halloween night.
"My recommendation would be not to have E-bikes out on Halloween night, too many people, you're not going to be able to go that fast on your bikes anyway," he said.
Additional safety recommendations
Brown also suggests ensuring children's costumes are fire-retardant for added safety.
Parent James Panter emphasized the importance of candy inspection, sharing his family's approach.
"We remind her before going out, and also during, do not eat the candy. And then we get home, we put it all on the table, and we go through it one by one," Panter said.
The Department of Public Safety plans to have extra patrols working both at the football game and on the roads, while asking families to take additional precautions to stay safe.
As a reminder, Friday is also the last day to turn in absentee ballots.
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