Halloween no holiday for sheriff's deputies
On the lookout for raucous behavior
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

With Halloween around the corner, local law enforcement officials don't find the "trick" in trickortreat that amusing.

From parties to pranks, to general mischief to robberies, Halloween is one of the most hectic days of the year for police, along with the Fourth of July.

"It's a busy night," said Dep. Robert DeSantis of the Lost Hills Sheriff's Station. "Our primary concern is the safety of children crossing the streets trick-or-treating past dusk."

Last Halloween, a 13-year-old Oak Park boy attempting to cross Kanan Road was hit by a car just south of Tamarind Street.

That's not the only concern for local law enforcement officials, who deal with hordes of people and a variety of concerns. The Lost Hills station will gain some extra help for Oct. 31.

Uniformed volunteer patrol officers from Calabasas and Westlake Village will help give police an extra set of eyes and ears. The mobile units work in pairs and drive around neighborhoods, keeping the sheriff's department informed about what's happening on the streets. Volunteers will also help the Lost Hills station with traffic control to ensure children cross streets safely.

The Lost Hills station will set up a command post at Three Springs Park in Westlake Village. The park, in one of the busiest areas for trick-or-treaters, will serve as a central location for officers to meet.

Senior Dep. Bob Maclean with the Camarillo Police Department said patrol officers will also monitor speeding motorists, especially in residential areas with a higher volume of pedestrians.

Maclean also offered suggestions to families who plan to be out of the house on Halloween, recommending that they should keep porch lights on to deter vandals or burglars looking for an empty house.

"I think the more lights, the better," Maclean said. "If it's dark, people can hide and get away with more."

Maclean also said that porches should be well-lit and walkways cleared of debris and plants before trick-or-treaters arrive.

DeSantis stressed three simple but important points for parents and youngsters alike.

"Make sure that if your kids are trickortreating they are accompanied by an adult," he said. "Instruct the children not to go inside anybody's house and that they carry flashlights if they're going through the neighborhoods."

Smashing pumpkins

DeSantis said the communities served by the Lost Hills station don't normally experience vandalism like pumpkin-smashing or shaving cream-spraying. Also, the station will enforce a curfew for minors; anyone under the age of 18 cannot be out in public after 10 p.m.

"As far as the usual, childlike vandalism, I would say . . . it's just mischief," DeSantis said. "It's not even noteworthy. Last year, there was not much of it at all. We're happy to report we don't have many incidents. We purposely overkill that evening to make sure we provide an adequate amount of safety."

Maclean said teenagers also need to remember vandalism, depending on the amount of damage caused, may be considered a felony.

"When vandalism is committed, once it reaches a certain value, they will be arrested for a felony as well as prosecuted for a felony," he said.

Candy robbery

Also, law enforcement officials consider bullying of younger children and taking their candy to be robbery. "We call it a 211. If somebody's property is taken by force, technically that's a robbery," said Capt. Monica McGrath, watch commander for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

Parties the weekend before Halloween have also become a police concern, especially since they could lead to underage drinking, driving under the influence of alcohol and alcohol-related fights.

The holiday is a source of worry for pet owners and animal shelters. The Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control does not allow anyone to adopt a black cat for the entire month of October.

"People tend to terrorize black cats because of the Halloween season," said Los Angeles Department of Animal Control spokesperson Brenda Sanchez. "We try to avoid that. . . . The best thing to do is to keep animals indoors in a comfortable room. A lot of the noises associated with the holiday pose stress to animals, and it could drive them to run away from home."

What might help law enforcement is that Halloween falls on a weekday this year. Also, the sun will be out a little longer because daylight-saving time will still be in effect.

"This holiday, you just never know," McGrath said. "Halloween weekend has evolved into quite an event for several cities. Halloween day this year, because it's a weekday and it's a school day, should make it a little better."

Camarillo Acorn editor Daniel Wolowicz contributed to this story.