The Valdosta Police Department has announced that the city's annual trick-or-treating festivities will take place on Monday, October 31, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Valdosta-Lowndes youth are a part of an estimated 41 million children—ages 5 to 14—across the United States who could potentially be out trick-or-treating. Furthermore, firefighter and police officer costumes remain two of trick-or-treaters' top picks.

Additional police patrol will be present to ensure the traditional evening is safe and enjoyable for residents during trick-or-treating hours. The Police Department would like to offer the following advice and safety tips for families and their children who will be out in the neighborhoods trick-or-treating Saturday evening:

• Motorists should exercise extreme caution when driving vehicles in residential communities. Be alert for excited children whose vision may be obscured by masks.
• Parents driving and parking in or near neighborhoods should obey all traffic signs, park safely off the road shoulder of major roads, and not block the entrances to neighborhoods or private driveways.
• Children should walk in pairs and always stay on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, they should walk on the edge of yards and, as a last resort, on the edge of the road.
• Adults should accompany children, especially those under age 12, and ensure that older children trick-or-treat with friends and not by themselves.
• Apply reflective tape to children's costumes or use glow sticks to increase visibility. Adults should also pin a slip of paper on children's costumes or inside a pocket with their phone number in case they get separated from the group.
• Parents should map out a safe route with their children, instruct them to stop only at familiar homes where the outside lights are on, and set a time limit for "trick-or-treating" activities.
• Try makeup instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable and obstruct a child's vision—which can be dangerous when crossing streets and walking up and down steps.
• Adults should inspect treats before children are allowed to eat them. Throw out unwrapped or unpackaged candy. Remember, children who eat a meal before trick-or-treating may be less likely to eat the candy before an adult approves it.

Trick-or-treating activities should be fun for all. Let's do our part to make it also safe for all. For more information, please contact the Valdosta Police Department at 229-293-3100.