MUNCIE, Ind.-- Trick-or-treaters, jack-o-lanterns and haunted houses, oh my! Halloween is upon us and the city of Muncie is decked out in their best spirit decor. With the spooky costumes and late nights, there’s something else to look out for on this frightful night. There’s one aspect of the holiday that keeps University Police on their toes. With the spooky costumes and late nights, there’s something else to look out for on this frightful night.
“Sometimes we see large groups and some of our students not paying attention to things like traffic codes because their costumes obstruct their vision, so they’re walking around the sidewalk so they can’t really see very well and stuff like that…,” Chief of University Police Jim Duckham said.
The department says they still get their fair share of phone calls to various places on campus, so they keep a watchful eye on students who choose to go out during the holiday.
“I would ask them to be responsible and be cognizant of their neighbors. Just because you're having a house party, maybe next door has to go to work the next morning. Be aware of your surroundings, stay on the sidewalk if you can, travel in well-lit areas, try not to be in large groups in the street, you know that’s helpful.”
Junior Savannah Sturgell has her own hacks for taking care of herself and those around her when they are out.
“So whenever I’m going out, I always make sure I’m going out with my other friend that I know and that I trust. Before that, I talked with my roommates. We exchanged emergency contacts, just in case something were to go down. We always try to update each other about where we’re gonna be and where we’re headed,” said Sturgell.
Chief Duckham encourages all students on campus to take care of themselves and others and to be extra careful when walking around campus during the weekend leading up to Halloween.
For families looking to collect candy Monday evening, times for tricking-or-treating in Delaware County are 5-8pm in Muncie 6-8pm Yorktown.
Contact Olivia Sloniker at omsloniker@bsu.edu with any questions.
