Marion police suggest trick-or-treating from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, and Swansea and Dighton police share Halloween safety tips

SOUTH COAST Marion police recommend that families consider trick-or-treating between 4:30 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, Police Chief Richard B. Nighelli said in an email on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The town does not establish official trick-or-treating hours, he said.

With Halloween on a Saturday this year, police in Swansea and Dighton have posted safety tips for the night, and children in Fall River have until midnight Friday to enter the police department's Ghostbusters cruiser photo contest.

How we chose

This guide takes in the 15 towns South Coast 360 covers and Taunton. A town's hours appear only when its own police department or town government has posted them or given them to South Coast 360 on the record, and more towns will be added as they announce.

What police are asking

"We encourage parents to accompany younger children, use sidewalks whenever possible, carry flashlights or wear reflective clothing, and remind children to look both ways before crossing streets," Nighelli said. He asked drivers to use extra caution in residential neighborhoods, where children may be out, and said adults going to Halloween parties should plan a sober driver or other safe ride home.

Police in Swansea and Dighton posted the same set of tips on Monday, Oct. 26. Parents should check that costumes fit, so children do not trip and the fabric does not snag, and that they are made of flame-resistant material, the departments said. Children should also carry flashlights or glow sticks and wear reflective strips, and the departments advised knowing which neighborhoods the group will visit, keeping it together and reminding children never to go into a stranger's house or vehicle. The Halloween graphic posted with both sets of tips adds that an adult should check treats before children eat anything, and both departments asked drivers to slow down in neighborhoods and to use a designated driver after a party.

Before Saturday in Fall River

Children under 16 have until midnight Friday, Oct. 30, to enter the Fall River Police Department's Halloween photo contest, the Fall River Reporter reported Wednesday. The department said Tuesday that a Ghostbusters-style cruiser would be on regular patrol around the city from Wednesday, Oct. 28, through Friday, the Reporter said. A child who spots it can take a photo with the cruiser and send it to the department through its Facebook Messenger, one entry per child, for a random drawing, and five winners will each get a Halloween prize bag. Because the cruiser stays on active duty, police asked families to approach it only when an officer is available and it is safe, the Reporter said.

More for Halloween weekend

Downtown New Bedford businesses have planned a trick-or-treat stroll for Saturday. The Halloween week guide and the Marion, Wareham, Dighton and Lakeville events list carry the library programs, Wareham's Trick or Treat on Main Street on Friday and more. The National Weather Service's forecast for New Bedford, issued Thursday morning, calls for a sunny Saturday and a partly cloudy night, and our Halloween weather story has the evening outlook. Our Halloween night safety page has Saturday's sunset time and the tips the Dartmouth Police Department posted.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.