Halloween Safety

[Diane Helbig]

Why is it that the police found it necessary to drive down my street just before 8pm with their light bar going? Do we really need to be told it's 8pm and Halloween is over?

I don't remember that happening any other year - and this being my favorite holiday, I think I'd remember that.

Is it a safety issue? Is the administration trying to show they have a handle on things during this election cycle? Were they expecting trouble?

Every year I see kids of all ages and sizes and . . . coming to my house for candy. It's a hoot. They are polite, fun, happy. Life is good. Even the adults are enjoying themselves.

I'm not saying anything here except this - it's a curiosity for me. I've never seen it before and I wonder what it means.

[Kate McCarthy]

On our street they did the same thing twice ... once around 6:30 the second around 7:15. We thought it was odd and don't recall seeing it before but enjoyed the wave from the patrol car when my neighbor's baby yelled "Hi!".

I have always recalled seeing a patrol car going up and down the street on Halloween but never with the light bar going. This was definitely a first and to be honest, we also wondered if it was just a pre-election campaign ploy.

[jennifer scott]

We had the same thing.....thought there was a problem at first. I have always seen the police patrol on Halloween but, not like tonight.

[Diane Helbig]

And I forgot to mention in my original post the helicopter with spotlight that flew over last night during Trick or Treating. When my husband got home from walking with my daughter, he asked me if I'd seen it (which I had) and wanted to know what it meant.

I told him I thought he'd come back with some news since he'd been out on the streets.

All very strange

[J Hrlec]

And I forgot to mention in my original post the helicopter with spotlight that flew over last night during Trick or Treating. When my husband got home from walking with my daughter, he asked me if I'd seen it (which I had) and wanted to know what it meant.

I told him I thought he'd come back with some news since he'd been out on the streets.

All very strange

I noticed that as well, the heli's spotlight actually went across my front yard. I said jokingly to my girlfriend, "Now I know what it feels like to live in Compton"

Curious as to what that was about....

[John Guscott]

we also had several police cruisers go up and down the street (lower Mars) - way more times then I have ever noticed. no flashing bars (that I saw), but they were driving very slowly. I wonder what their orders were?

[J Hrlec]

we also had several police cruisers go up and down the street (lower Mars) - way more times then I have ever noticed. no flashing bars (that I saw), but they were driving very slowly. I wonder what their orders were?

Order #1: Confiscate all Snickers bars!

[David Anderson]

I thought it was great to see cruisers out last night. Our street, which always attracts from outside the neighborhood - many cars driving in, parking and walking - which is accepted by most neighbors as a point of pride (what a great reputation for a neighborhood to have), was happy to see one of Lakewood's finest driving slowly around 7:45'ish. We didn't get running party lights, though.

Diane, I didn't know Lakewood owned/operated a police heli? Could it be that I am behind/wrong again? Where's the landing pad? If not, why would Cleveland police be flying a heli over L'wood?

[Dee Krupp]

I thought it was great to see cruisers out last night. Our street, which always attracts from outside the neighborhood - many cars driving in, parking and walking - which is accepted by most neighbors as a point of pride (what a great reputation for a neighborhood to have), was happy to see one of Lakewood's finest driving slowly around 7:45'ish. We didn't get running party lights, though.

Diane, I didn't know Lakewood owned/operated a police heli? Could it be that I am behind/wrong again? Where's the landing pad? If not, why would Cleveland police be flying a heli over L'wood?

She didn't say it was a Lakewood helicopter...but I saw it too. Definitely looked like they were looking for something/somebody with their big 'ole spotlight.

Also saw the police cruisers...2x. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed seeing them. They weren't getting our snickers though!! I'd put up a fight for those! That's my bonus...my kids dislike any candy with nuts

[Brian Pedaci]

Saw cruisers running with their lights on over on the east side of town too. Glad to hear they were doing it all over, although as they went by the same time as the helicopter went overhead, my daughter began to worry that we were going to get jumped by a knife-wielding maniac.

If they were patrolling for safety, great. Having the lights on says that something's up. Really considering getting a scanner.

[Esther Hazlett]

I sit on my front steps to pass out candy each Halloween. I have always seen the police cruisers on my street on these particular nights. I think it's just a safety thing, not an election year ploy.

[Kate McCarthy]

I always sit on my front step and the police cruisers always drive up and down the street...until this year when they had the light bar on. It really felt quite different...I just wonder why the light bar was flashing? When they first came down the street I thought was something wrong.

When I see a police car with the light bar on I think they are in pursuit or are signaling for someone to stop. It's not a friendly sight. Our street was alive with neighbors out talking to each other. It was a very safe place. I would just like to know why the light bar? Without an obvious reason, it felt intimidating and menacing and was totally unnecessary.