MENDOTA – Halloween is Tuesday, Oct. 31, and trick or treat hours are from 5-7 pm. in Mendota. Mendota police officers will be heavily enforcing pedestrian and motor vehicle safety throughout the city.

As a reminder, there will be trick or treating in the downtown area and a large number of pedestrians, including many children, will be walking around. Please remember to slow down and watch for children who may dart out into the street unexpectedly.

While trick or treating, remember to wear light-colored clothing or reflective materials to be seen by motorists. Trick or treaters should travel in groups so they aren’t a tempting target for real-life goblins. Parents should accompany young children to and from homes. Always cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalk, and look left, right and left again when crossing. Keep looking as you cross.

Make sure older children trick or treat with friends. Map out a safe route so you will know where they will be, and tell them to stop only at familiar homes where the outside lights are on. Trick or treat while it is still light out. If it’s dark, make sure someone has a flashlight and only pick well-lighted streets.

If you are driving in a residential or congested area, use caution while behind the wheel. Remember to slow down and be alert, enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully, and eliminate distractions so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

Remember, Halloween is known as a party night. Mendota Police will be heavily enforcing impaired driving. Always designate a sober driver and plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night if you plan on celebrating Halloween with alcohol. If you believe you see an impaired driver on the roadway, contact local law enforcement immediately. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.

The Mendota Police Department will be offering rides home to residents or visitors of Mendota. If you have been drinking alcohol and need a ride to a residence within the city limits, contact the Mendota Police Department at (815) 539-9331. Mendota officers will be available Saturday, Oct. 28 and Tuesday, Oct. 31 for the ride home program.

Please remember, you can still have fun while being safe. Make Halloween 2017 a night to remember for the right reasons.