Happy Halloween! Be Spooky and Safe

It's Halloween, and that means parties, candy and trick-or-treat.

While Halloween is a night for scary fun, but one real scare involves safety. North Andover Police are urging residents to be extra vigilant with kids walking around.

Trick-or-treat is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Because it's on a weekday this year, that means it will be at peak traffic time.

"The North Andover Police Department reminds everyone that Halloween should be celebrated in a fun and safe manner," North Andover Police Lt. Charles Gray said.

Gray offered the following tips for residents taking kids out in town:

• "Wear a light or reflective costume with no visibility obstruction.  Carry a flashlight or glow stick so that you can be easily seen by pedestrian as well as motor vehicle traffic."

• "Use sidewalks whenever possible.  If there are no sidewalks, walk against traffic and stay as close to the curb or burm as possible to allow for traffic to get by."

• "Travel in groups.  The more people makes it easier to see and avoid and trick-or-treating is always more fun with friends."

• "Stay in neighborhoods you are familiar with.  This is very important because it is easy to get lost in unfamiliar areas, especially with a large amount of people around."

• "If the lights aren’t on, don’t visit! Some people don’t want to participate in the festivities. Respect their decision and leave that house and move on to the next one."

• "If you see malicious, suspicious or destructive behavior, call the police. We will have extra cruiser patrols out and will respond to these incidents."