Pinellas Times

City of Largo issued the following announcement.

Halloween is quickly approaching, and children and adults alike are getting excited for the spooky, fun events to come. To stay safe this Halloween, Largo Public Safety is here with some tips to keep your family safe this Halloween.

If you are passing out treats from home:

• Remove tripping hazards to keep your home safe for trick-or-treaters. Keep the porch and front yard clear of anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.
• Provide grab-and-go goodie bags instead of individual pieces of candy. 
• If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing the bags.
• Are your “other” doors locked? Answering your main/ front door distracts you from the other points of entry so make sure they are locked.
• Unless you are passing out treats from inside your garage- keep it shut. Leaving it open tells everyone walking by what kind of great items you have to steal.
• Lights in the front entrance area should be lit.

If you are trick or treating or away from home:

• Largo Recreation as well as community groups, churches, businesses, and others host Halloween events. Parents should consider these as a safer alternative to door-to-door "trick-or-treating" for their children.
• Be aware of all standard traffic and pedestrian safety laws. Reflective gear, flashlights, and glowsticks are recommended.
• Children should have their names and addresses attached to their costumes.
• Children should never go into homes - stay on the porch or stoop when asking for treats, and avoid homes that don't have their outside lights turned on.
• Children should never talk to strangers or get into strangers' cars.
• Children should travel in small groups and be accompanied by parents or an authorized adult chaperone.
• Have a plan with your group(s) in case of an emergency. Where will you meet? What time?
• When children get home, parents should inspect all candy and other treats before they are eaten. Discard all unwrapped or loosely wrapped candy or fruit. If in doubt, throw it out.

For those unable to go trick-or-treating, there are still plenty of activities to enjoy the holiday, virtual costume contests, decorating your home and virtual get-togethers are great alternatives to celebrate. As a reminder, the City of Largo does not hold city-wide trick-or-treating. For a spooky, safe good time, be sure to visit Largo's Drive-o-Ween event on Friday, October 30 at Largo Central Park. Visit LargoEvents.com for more information.

Original source can be found here.