City officials offer San Luis Obispo residents these Halloween safety tips

No matter what your Halloween plans are – trick-or-treating, going to a party, or handing out candy at home – there are many ways to keep yourself safe.

KSBY spoke with San Luis Obispo residents who said safety is their number one concern this Halloween.

“We collect candy as a group, and then I go through all the candy before I let her (her daughter) eat it,” said one mother from San Luis Obispo.

KSBY was near Spirit Halloween in San Luis Obispo and spoke with locals preparing for their Halloween plans – everyone agreed it was important to take precautions.

“Don’t go trick-or-treating alone,” said one magician.

“Making sure I have the whereabouts of all my friends, making sure we stay together as a group so no one gets separated, you know, keeping an eye on what we’re doing, making smart decisions,” said a Cal Poly student. “But we take care of ourselves.”

The City of San Luis Obispo has some safety tips, no matter what your plans are. City officials say it’s important:

• Be visible
• Stay hydrated
• Walk safely on sidewalks and marked crosswalks.
• Stay in groups
• Drive carefully
• Use fireproof decorations
• Keep exits clear

Sergeant Stradley with the San Luis Obispo Police Department said the number one thing they see on Halloween is distracted driving. He also added that some public order citations will carry additional fines starting Wednesday night.

“A lot of the disorderly conduct citations—we have ones like urinating in public, open containers, things like that—the fines are actually doubled, so they can range from $700 to $1,000,” Stradley said. “We want people to have a good time, but we also want to be respectful of their neighbors and the community as a whole.”

Sergeant Stradley said you can also expect additional patrol units.