Happy Halloween Norristown!

Before you head out with the little ones this evening to do your trick or treating (or before you send your older kids out on their own), take a look at these last-minute safety tips courtesy of the :

• Know your child's route.
• Take a flashlight.
• Be sure your costumes, shoes and treat bags are all safe and secured.
• Reminder your kids not to enter a stranger's home.
• Set rules about not eating any treats before you get home so you can inspect everything.
• Remember that drivers often have a hard time seeing pedestrians, especially at dusk.
• Never cross the street from between parked cars.
• Be careful around open flames in jack-o-lanterns as they can catch costumes and wigs on fire.
• Make sure that any fake knives, guns or swords are made of cardboard or other flexible materials to avoid accidental injury or worse, having them be mistaken for the real thing!

If you'll be managing the homefront this evening, there are a few things you can do to make sure visiting trick or treaters stay safe:

• Keep your porch light on.
• Move lit jack-o-lanterns off the porch where kids get bunched up waiting for treats.
• Remove anything from your yard that may may present a hazard.
• If you do go out, remember to drive slowly all evening. You never know when a little ghost or ghoul will pop up.

And one last tip – if you see criminal activity or anything suspicious, call the Norristown Police Department at 610-270-0977.

Happy Halloween everyone!