The nighttime air is brisk and the autumn leaves cover the ground. Children’s laughter can be heard as little monsters, princesses and pirates walk the street, stopping at every house in search of candy. As fun as Halloween can be for children, it can be equally scary for parents worried about their child’s safety. Here are some tips to keep your kids safe.
1.) Reflectors and Reflective Tape
Using reflectors are a great way to make your child more visible to passing vehicles on the streets. Reflective tape can be bought in rolls from any major hardware store and come in various textures and widths. Reflective tape comes in all colors, has an adhesive backing and can easily be cut into any size or shape to add to your child’s costume. By laying out the reflectors in a unique pattern of shapes and colors, you can easily distinguish and locate your child from a great distance by using a flashlight. Get creative and make the reflectors an important feature of your child’s Halloween costume.
2.) Whistles and Air Horns
Small children are not able to defend themselves as effectively as older children. Unable to carry and effectively use personal protection, carrying a whistle is in case of an emergency is the easiest way for your little one to get help if needed. For older children, small compressed gas air horns work great for this purpose and can be heard for a half mile. Usually, the mere sound of a whistle or horn will draw enough attention to your child to deter any attacker.
3.) Cell Phone
Communication with your child should be maintained at all times. Have your child carry a cellphone and call you to “check-in” every 30 minutes. Because malfunctions can happen, it is advised that a second means of communication such as two-way radio be utilized as a backup.
4.) GPS Tracking
An added benefit of giving your child a cell phone to carry for Halloween safety, is the ability to track it using GPS. Most of today’s smart-phones have GPS capability built-in, allowing a cell phone user the ability to get precise directions and also allows the phone to be tracked by family or friends. If you do not have a smart-phone with GPS capability but instead have an analog phone, GPS tracking is still possible using a pre-paid Mobile Phone Locate Card, such as the one offered by LiveViewGPS.
5.) Company
A lot of Halloween tragedies happen not because of a stranger, but because of peer pressure from friends. Just as important as protecting your child from unknown attackers, it is equally important to make sure that they are in the company of mature, responsible individuals. It is always a good idea to have children to travel in groups with adult supervision. Before allowing your child to head out with their friends, make sure to have a planned trick-or-treat route and established a meet-up point in case anyone gets separated from the group.
6.) Lost Child
Small children should be fitted with a card listing their address and phone number, pinned inside one of their pockets. This is very important in case your child gets separated from their group and cannot find the way home.
~Jonathan A. Stelly
President of Top Echelon Investigation, LLC
Top Echelon Investigation, LLC is an investigation firm located with Opelousas, LA, with private investigators serving:
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