SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)– It’s Halloween night which means trick or treating. But you may have noticed, these kids aren’t going from door to door. Rather they’re going from store to store. Nikita Jankowski is the Marketing Director at Destiny USA.
“Hey, we’re sunny and 72.4 degrees,” she said. “We have the best weather all year long so why not open it up to those who don’t wanna weather the storm, weather the wind, weather the rain. And wanna show off their costume without wearing a coat.”
Halloween 2019 proved to be a dark and stormy night. Hundreds of families packed Destiny USA for sweet treats. However, some parents like Shane McConnell prefer the traditional way of trick or treating.
“Normally yeah we’d be outside,” he said. “We came to the mall today because the weather was so bad. We decided to keep everyone inside. Warm. Out of the rain.”
It’s not just the rain keeping families inside. Jankowski said indoor Halloween events are a safer way for kids to get that coveted piece of candy.
“There are some dark corners, some dark streets,” she said. “You may not even know you’re neighbors. But here reputable companies are giving out candy so you don’t have to worry about checking to see if there are little shards of anything in here.”
For parent Syeisha Byrd, safety is more than what’s in her kids’ candy bag.
“Especially the cars,” she said. “It’s more visibility. It’s dark outside. Cars are flying by. So this is a safer option.”
The Syracuse police department and neighborhood watch groups teamed up for “Halloween Watch.” Extra patrols were assigned to different neighborhoods between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. That’s the recommended time for trick or treating.
Other police departments also took precaution. The Manlius police department handed out free glow sticks, light up necklaces and reflective bags with safety tips.
While safety is a priority, some parents like Chris Petrilli had a totally different motivation for coming to the mall.
“You know all the stores are in close proximity,” he said. “So the kids get a lot of bang for their buck for their bag.”
