A night of mischief and sweet treats is about to commence in Bloomsburg.
Halloween night is once again approaching. Residents of Bloomsburg are setting up their Halloween decorations, making last minute costume alterations, and buying whateverHalloween candy they can scrounge up. Candy bowls are being filled, and left out on porches with signs reading, “Please take one!” And just like any other year, the Bloomsburg Fire Department and Bloomsburg Police Station are preparing to encounter Halloween antics.
Although Halloween night is seen by many as a fun day to dress up and go door-to-door collecting candy, it’s not that for everyone. When you walk around your local grocery store in the weeks before Halloween, you may naturally gravitate towards the candy in costumes. But some people skip the costumes and candy; eagerly track down whatever items they can use for their night of mischief.
People of all ages run around the town of Bloomsburg on Halloween night, executing their idea of a “fun” night. No matter what your night looks like, you should always make sure it's safe and doesn’t end you up in jail.
Chief of Police Scott C. Sprice has been a police officer for thirty-eight years. Having spent many of those years working Halloween night; whether it was as a Patrol Trooper, Criminal Investigator, and Patrol Supervisor. With his many years of experience, Chief Sprice has a lot to say regarding Halloween.
Halloween day is much like any other day for the Bloomsburg Police Department. Though officers on duty Halloween night are somewhat busier than those working Halloween day. According to Chief Sprice, criminal mischief and suspicious person calls are fairly common on Halloween; so is vandalism. When asked if crime increases on Halloween, he has stated that “Crime likely is fairly stable; nuisance calls may increase to some degree. Because more people are mobile during hours of darkness on Halloween, things like traffic safety are a concern.To resolve the issue, the Bloomsburg Police Department attempts to maintain maximum visibility; maintaining a 3-officer minimum staffing level.
Bloomsburg Fire Chief Scott W. McBride has been a firefighter for the last twenty-nine years; seven of which he has been the chief of the Bloomsburg Fire Department. Chief McBride has dedicated a chink of his time to volunteer in Bloomsburg. Including “working” as a volunteer on every Halloween.
Halloween is typically a busy day for the Fire Department; with it being busier at night. When Halloween falls on the weekend, it tends to be even busier. The most common calls the department gets on Halloween are calls that come in for fog being mistaken as smoke, and mishaps with special effects. Similar to the Bloomsburg Police Department, the Fire Department commonly gets nuisance calls on Halloween. Chief McBride states that not many calls on Halloween are crime or injury related, but the ones they do get are disorderly conduct or criminal mischief. During Halloween, injuries, sickness, and fires, can potentially increase due to costumes impairing movement and vision, sickness can increase due to eating a variety of foods made by others, and fires trend up due to the nature of the night, mischief. McBride feels that staff should be increased on Halloween due to the increase in call volume. Which is why the department commonly has about 15 extremely active volunteers; upwards of 50 respond if there is a serious incident. Though Halloween is a holiday where children commonly run around collecting candy, the Fire Department rarely gets calls involving children. But, if they do,it could involve a missing child, or one struck by a vehicle in the dark.
Safety is always a concern for parents on Halloween. It should be the top priority of all Bloomsburg citizens to keep themselves and others safe. But how can you stay safe? Chief McBride and Chief Sprice both agree that most parents are vigilante and do a good job keeping their kids safe. Even so, they’ve given a few tips to keep yourself and others safe. Chief McBride suggests to”[b]e conscious using open flames around decorations or ornaments around the house. Don't overload electrical outlets. Keep a flashlight or glow sticks with you while walking around.”
Chief Sprice also has a few tips. The Bloomsburg Police Department's biggest concern is pedestrian safety and visibility when trick-or-treating. To keep yourself safe, wear fluorescent clothing. Chief Sprice, like Chief McBride, agrees that to be visible you should carry a lighted wand or glow stick of some sort. A few other tips from Chief Sprice are as follows: “Use caution when crossing streets; especially if costumes are dark in color or impair visibility as some do. Use crosswalks and traffic signals when possible. Attend truck or treat events; or, trick-or-treat at the residences of friends, family, and others well known. Travel in groups, and always with adult supervision for younger children. Avoid dimly lit areas when possible.”
Whether you’re giving out candy, or running around in search of a sweet treat, make sure you stay safe this Halloween. If there is an emergency, call it in and someone will respond to verify everything is safe. Do not call as a prank, it can lead to fines and possible jail time. Whether or not to call the police is a difficult decision to make. People are wearing costumes; which, under normal circumstances may seem suspicious. Chief Sprice doesn’t normally tell people “when not to call.” Intuition can be a valuable asset. He doesn't want to dissuade people from reporting it. Be aware of surroundings and call police if observing anything suspicious. On Halloween, stay safe and have fun!
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