Trick-or-treat will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Roanoke Rapids on October 31, police Chief Andy Jackson said at the Gingerbread House on Clearfield Drive with SafetyPup, Officer Adam Salmon and police department Administrative Assistant Tina May.

Salmon encouraged the children to not accept candy that was loose and to have their parents inspect even wrapped candy before eating it.

Don't take candy from strangers, May encouraged the youngsters.

The children received coloring books.

Jackson said children should wear bright or reflective costumes and don't wear costumes that have masks that restrict vision. Carry glow sticks or flashlights.

Other tips, he said, include walking facing traffic and collecting candy in neighborhoods you know.

Salmon and May also gave the children some tips when encountering strangers. “Grown-ups don't need little kids' help to do big things,” he said, such as helping them find lost dogs.

Making the siren wail.

May told the children never shop for toys by themselves, while Salmon told them should they encounter a stranger to scream and yell for help.

Salmon said if children should wake up before their parents, wake a grown-up up if someone knocks on the door. “If someone calls and asks if your parents are home, tell them yes and get the parent,” he said.

The police department began using SafetyPup, a mascot of the National Child Safety Council, this summer to promote safety tips.