Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Morris has issued the following statement ahead of Halloween:

“Halloween is, above all, about kids having fun. Like many grandparents, I look forward to hearing from my grandkids about their costumes and their night of fun (and, no doubt, their candy collection). But as a former police officer and now the minister responsible for public safety, I also look forward to knowing they’re safe come Tuesday morning.

“That leads me to a warning for some so-called adults out there: don’t think that police will view every trick as treat-worthy. If you engage in acts of vandalism or mischief – particularly while ‘clowning’ or otherwise disguised – you risk the possibility of arrest and potentially even a criminal record. Recently, some ‘crazy clowns’ across North America have been learning this the hard way. If whatever you’re planning could be considered irrational or illegal on any other night of the year, don’t assume Halloween is your get-out-of-jail-free card.

“Beyond that, I want to repeat the basic Halloween safety message that will be familiar to most parents and guardians: please make sure your young trick-or-treaters are visible while they’re going door to door. It’s getting darker earlier, which makes pedestrians harder to see generally – and young children who are caught up in the excitement of Halloween may not be focused on traffic and what’s going on around them. These circumstances make it even more important for drivers to be sober, focused on the road and free of distractions on Halloween.”