GMP officers give out crime prevention advice ahead of Halloween celebrations this weekend

Whilst many will be deciding what scary outfit to wear, we want the Halloween weekend to be enjoyable for everyone – the safety of the public will always be our main priority.

Unfortunately, this time of year can be a scary time for elderly members of our community, those who live alone and vulnerable people who are not keen on surprises or calls on their door from unknown people.

During the Halloween weekend and as the spooky night approaches on Tuesday (31 October), neighbourhood officers will be present and visible in your area to provide a visible reassurance to members of the community and will be there to tackle crime and will be there to disperse large groups of people acting anti-socially and causing a nuisance in our neighbourhoods.

Chief Superintendent Emma Taylor, Head of GMP’s Prevention Branch said: “Although we want people to have fun, this period is not an excuse for anyone to behave in an anti-social way in our communities. It is a small number of people that can ruin the fun for everybody else, putting themselves and others at risk of harm. Our neighbourhood officers are out on patrol in your communities, if you have any concerns, please speak to us."

Follow our top tips to ensure everyone can celebrate Halloween safely.

Tips for those going out:

- Make sure you go in a group.
- Be visible – dress to be seen and stay in areas that have street lighting.
- If a house does not have any lights on or have Halloween decorations or if you see a ‘No trick or treat callers’ sign on the house – be respectful and don’t knock!
- Be cautious of Halloween costumes being close to flames from pumpkins and other Halloween decorations – battery operated lanterns and decorations are much safer.

Tips for those staying at home:

- Don’t open your door if you are unsure who is there, use your spyhole or look out of the window and use your door chain if you are worried.
- Have a contact number of someone that is close to you whether that be a friend, family member or neighbour that you can call if needed.

Report & Support

GMP will not tolerate any anti-social behaviour at any time of the year.

To report anti-social behaviour or any crime/information, please report through 101 or use the LiveChat facility on our website: www.gmp.police.uk

You can also report any information or crime anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Always call 999 in an emergency.

For further support and crime prevention advice, please visit our support pages.