The result of this was that many people decided to keep thier doors shut and the lights off - the message was clear - no trick-or-treating at this house!
Those kinds of responses to Halloween are just terrible: not only do they ruin a night when community usually has a chance to really come together, but it takes away special, fun memories from the children who are growing up here in Plainfield. That isn’t right.
In response to what was going on, I formed a committee along with other concerned citizens, to see what could be done to address the problem. After many meetings where we discussed what we thought would need to be done, we agreed upon a plan.
We held a public meeting to allow the public to provide input. After that we reached out to the police department and public safety director Martin Hellwig, who were very receptive to our ideas.
Three years ago, our plans resulted in a new approach to Halloween: weeks before the big night, block association leaders from all over the city met down at Police headquarters to review and discuss plans for Halloween night. Public PSAs were broadcast to inform the community. Even the school system helped out by sending a note home with the kids. See the 2007 PSA here.
There is now increased awareness among community members of our goals for a safer Halloween and a much stronger show of police presence on the streets so that parents can feel safer as they walk with their kids from house to house, and people at home can be more confident in decorating their homes and answering their doors.
Halloween really is different now than it was even a few years back, and I hope that it continues to be for years to come. As I see it, every kid deserves the memories of Halloween, and people deserve to feel safe in their homes…every night of the year.
These type of improvements are the heart of what I want for Plainfield: the kind that put what is right ahead of everything else and make it happen for the good of our city.
