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With Halloween just over a week away, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has some tips...since there really wasn't a Halloween last year, when it comes to trick-or-treaters, due to the pandemic.
"The kids ain't looking for cars, and a lot of the drivers ain't paying attention because they're messing around with their cell phones and doing stuff. So that's pretty much the ingredients for something bad to happen when you've got a lot of foot traffic in the neighborhood. So when you're in these neighborhoods in your cars, slow down, take it easy. Look for the kids. They're like little animals. They're just gonna dart out there in the street. They're not gonna look."
And as you're preparing for the holiday, Bradshaw says those trick-or-treaters should stay outside, especially since they most likely won't be wearing face masks, with the exception of the ones that come with costumes.
"Don't go into people's houses because that puts you into an atmosphere that you don't want to be in, for many reasons, but mainly because you're not outdoors anymore."
Finally, while inspecting your kids' candy haul is always important, COVID adds an extra level of that.
"It's a testy time for any type of activity where you're going to be taking something from somebody else into your home into contact with your kids. So you've just gotta be careful."