Halloween Safety Tips and Local Ordinances

By | October 21, 2015
With Halloween just around the corner, now is the time to prepare for a safe celebration. Please take a moment to review these Halloween safety tips, along with the local Charleston City Ordinances relating to Halloween.
Tips for College-age Students:
  • Trust your instincts. If you feel alarmed, scared or creepy in any situation, go with your gut. If you see something spooky, contact the local authorities immediately.
  • Avoid being alone or isolated with a vampire – – or any creature – – who you don’t know or trust. Make sure a dependable friend knows where you are and who you are with at all times. Don’t leave your group with anyone you’re not sure of – even if he or she asks. Say you’d rather stay with the group.
  • Know your surroundings and plan a Jack-o-lantern lit route back to your house. Always carry emergency cash and keep phone numbers to howl at local cab companies if needed. Have your charged cell phone with you.
  • Check in with your friends throughout All Hallow’s Eve. Form a buddy system so that no one wanders off alone. Agree on a secret “butt in” signal for uncomfortable situations, such as “Ghost” or “Ghoul!”
  • Don’t accept “potion” from people you don’t know or trust and never leave your “potion”unattended. If you lose sight of your “potion,” get a new one, and always watch your“potion” being prepared.
  • Don’t let your guard down. Do not assume that the mummies, witches, and wizards you meet will look out for your best interests!
  • Watch out for your friends, and don’t be afraid to intervene if a situation appears to be scaring your friend or is frightening you. If your friend seems too drunk or is acting abnormally, get him or her to a safe place immediately.
Tips for Parents with Children
  • Ideally, an adult should accompany young goblins out trick-or-treating. If your younggoblins go out on their own, be sure they wear a watch and carry a flashlight. You should know their route, and they should know when to be home and where to reach you in case of emergency.
  • Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well, that youngsters can see clearly through masks, and that capes are short enough to prevent tripping or getting tangled.
  • Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy & sweets home to be inspected before consuming anything. Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks peculiar or unusual.
  • If trick-or-treating with a group of friends, your children should be aware of monsters – even “kind” monsters who give them treats. They should never enter a monster’s home, no matter how nice the monster seems! Trick or treaters should stay on the sidewalk and not cross lawns.
  • Avoid dark and gloomy houses. Only go to houses with a porch light on and never enter a house or car for candy, treats, or for any other reason.
  • Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity under the Halloween moon.

These safety tips were provided by RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network).

 

Local Ordinances Relevant to Halloween:

 

Sec. 21-111. – Masked or disguised persons; Halloween exceptions.

(1) Any person wearing traditional holiday costume;

(2) Any person engaged in a trade or employment in which a mask is worn for the purpose of ensuring the physical safety of the wearer or because of the nature of the occupation, trade or profession;

(3) Any person using a mask in a theatrical production or masquerade ball; or

(4) Any person wearing a gas mask prescribed in a civil defense drill or exercise or in an emergency.

(b) No person shall appear on any street, highway, alley, public park, public home, private home or any other public place to make trick or treat visitations; provided that this section shall not apply to children sixteen (16) years or less on Halloween night prior to 10:00 p.m.

Sec. 21-216. – Carrying concealed toy pistols restricted.

It shall be unlawful for any person fourteen (14) years of age or older to carry concealed about his person any toy pistol or pistol capable of firing blanks or caps or replica under circumstances evincing any intent to use or employ or allow the same to be used or employed in the commission of a crime or knowing that the same are intended to be so used.

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