Sheriff, DPS and Houston Fire Push One Message for Halloween Night: Slow Down, Stay Visible, See Something, Say Something
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Houston's fire and police departments all published Halloween guidance this week — and their advice lines up: plan the route, keep children visible, lock up firearms, and report anything suspicious.
The sheriff's office put it in its weekly newsletter: plan your route, know your neighborhood, and check the Texas DPS sex-offender registry before heading out. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez's Halloween message, in the department's Newsletter No. 223, 'Celebrate Halloween Responsibly and Keep Our Community Safe,' reminds residents that emergencies go to 911 and the sheriff's non-emergency line is 713-221-6000.
The Texas Department of Public Safety's statewide Halloween release, issued Monday, October 26, carries the night's starkest number: children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a vehicle and killed on Halloween than on any other night of the year, DPS said, citing Safe Kids Worldwide. 'Halloween should be a night of fun and celebration, not a night of tragedy,' Highway Patrol Chief Bryan Rippee said in the release, urging drivers to slow down and watch for children, and anyone drinking to plan a sober ride home.
DPS also repeated two standing warnings for the night: lock firearms in a cabinet or safe during home gatherings, through its Safe Storage Campaign, and remember that fentanyl can be disguised as candy — a single pill carrying two milligrams can kill. Suspicious activity can be reported through the iWatchTexas app or at 844-643-2251.
The department's trick-or-treat rules are the familiar ones, worth the repeat: reflective tape, glow sticks or flashlights; face paint instead of masks that block vision; sidewalks and crosswalks; soft costume accessories; only well-lit houses; and never enter a stranger's home or car.
Houston's own agencies add the home-side list. The Houston Fire Department's Halloween guidance urges battery candles or flashlights instead of real candles in jack-o'-lanterns, lit pumpkins kept away from curtains, decorations and walkways — and reminds families that any Houston fire or police station is a refuge if a trick-or-treater feels threatened. Houston police guidance for households: leave exterior lights on to welcome trick-or-treaters, clear toys and obstacles from sidewalks and yards, set a time limit, and map the route before the doorbell starts ringing.
