As parents and children prepare to go trick-or-treating, the Brookhaven Police Department is preparing to keep the streets safe for the holiday.

“I just want to encourage everybody to just be safe and look out for vehicles while crossing streets,” Police Chief Bobby Bell said. “Keep a flashlight with you as you trick-or-treat. Be careful and enjoy yourselves.”

Bell suggested that parents accompany their children while trick-or-treating, and they should ensure at home that all candy is properly wrapped before letting their children eat it.

“Basically just trick-or-treat in areas you know and with people you know,” Bell said.

There is no set curfew for Halloween, according to Bell.

“Usually, most people take it up on themselves to be in the area at a certain time,” Bell said. “In the last few years — and I don’t know why — trick-or-treating has slacked down in certain areas of our town, and basically it’s picked up around the S. Jackson St. area, the S. Church St. area, you have people in that area but very few people in other areas.”

Bell said there isn’t usually a lot of crime on Halloween night, but the police department does focus their attention on keeping kids safe, and also protecting local businesses.

“You have to watch the stores, because you never know when somebody’s up for mischievous reasons,” Bell said. “So you just have to pay special attention to everything. You can’t just watch your neighborhoods, you also have to have [people] watching your stores, because some people will take an opportunity to get with these masks and do something wrong.”

Brandon Fortenberry of the Mississippi Highway Patrol said that drivers should be extra vigilant during the holiday season.

“Travel safely on the roads because of the families that get together and the parties that are being thrown for the occasion,” Fortenberry said.