Jamesburg and Monroe bump up patrol for holiday
By: Candice Leigh Helfand
On Tuesday, children of all ages will be able to live out their dreams of being Harry Potter, princesses, firefighters, Disney characters and pumpkins; Halloween will arrive that day.
However, there is more to consider about the holiday’s celebration besides candy and costumes.
Since a large part of the fun of Halloween hinges upon trick-or-treating, Monroe and Jamesburg are taking steps to make sure nothing goes wrong for the families celebrating.
In Jamesburg, several measures are being taken to assure everyone’s safety for a fun holiday.
"As always, the officers in Jamesburg are out entirely on Halloween," said acting Jamesburg Police Chief Paul Karkoska. "The cops hand out candy from their patrol cars as well."
A curfew is set for 7 p.m. in addition to the presence of more police officers, since with the resetting of clocks for Daylight Saving Time, it will be dark before then.
In addition, John F. Kennedy Elementary School, in Jamesburg, will be running a program about Halloween safety measures for the children on Monday during the school day.
The program, set up by the Jamesburg Education Association in collaboration with the police department, will offer two separate assemblies: one for the younger students at JFK Elementary, and one for the older students. The students will watch videos, learn about safety from Jamesburg policemen, and receive treat bags at the end of the presentation.
"The idea is to promote safety on Halloween, and give them some tips on Halloween safety," said Mary Popowski, a reading specialist at JFK Elementary, and one of the co-presidents of the JEA. "I think also that it will allow us to work together with the police and the community."
Ms. Popowski added that the program will show the students how the police are involved, as well as the teachers and the school. "It’s all about safety, and enjoyment," she said.
The other co-presidents of JEA who assisted in the program’s planning are Elena Strout, a math specialist, Pam Dobenski, another reading specialist, and Pat Dufty, JFK’s school nurse.
In Monroe, the rules are slightly different. The police also stress the importance of cautionary measures, and the proactive role parents should take in ensuring a safe Halloween for their children.
The curfew in Monroe is set for 10 p.m., which is no different from the town’s usual curfew for children.
"Basically we have double shifts working for Halloween," said Lt. Ken Gross, the officer in charge of patrol. "This way we have a maximum amount of officers on the road, as well as additional bike officers."
Lt. Gross offered advice on preventative measures parents can take to make sure their kids are safe.
"All of the smaller kids should be taken by the parents," he said. "They should make sure they can see out of their masks, and that they wear reflective clothing, something so that the children could be seen, especially at night."
Lt. Gross also said that parents should make sure to check their children’s candy for anything suspicious or pre-opened.

