The Park City Police Department and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office plan to put extra officers and deputies on patrol over the Halloween weekend, normally a busy time for law enforcement.

Phil Kirk, a police captain, said the Police Department expects to put at least two or three additional officers on patrol on Saturday night and Sunday night, starting at 8 p.m. and running through 2 a.m. the next morning.

He said the additional officers will be assigned to patrols looking for drunken drivers and other traffic offenses. Kirk wants to make sure trick-or-treaters are safe, and he said he anticipates police officers will be called to respond to parties.

He said Halloween is normally “pretty busy” for the police, but the complaints normally are “nothing huge.” Kirk said vandalism incidents are sometimes reported on Halloween as well.

Ron Bridge, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said there will be eight or nine deputies on patrol over the weekend, up from the five or six who would normally be on duty on a Saturday or a Sunday.

The Police Department, meanwhile, has posted a set of Halloween-safety tips designed for parents on City Hall’s website. Some of the tips include:

  • Ensuring children are escorted by a parent or another trusted adult
  • having trick-or-treaters carry a flashlight and walk on well-lit streets
  • Telling children never to enter the home of a stranger
  • Allowing children to wear only costumes made of fire-retardant materials that are light colored. If a costume is made of dark material, parents should put reflective tape on the costume to make them more visible.
  • Avoiding wearing a mask that can make it difficult to see. The police recommend makeup as an alternative to a mask.
  • Picking costumes that do not have props made of hard plastic or wood, such as fake daggers and swords.
  • Giving out only treats that are wrapped by the manufacturer and inspecting treats before kids eat them

    The Police Department also suggests parents take their children to the ‘Halloween on Main’ event, planned from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. between 7th Street and the southern end of the commercial section of Main Street.