LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — While valley families are getting their costumes and candy ready for Halloween, many in the east valley are also focused on safety, making sure their trick-or-treaters are protected as they plan to walk around our community.
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“I will have them walk around, but definitely going to keep them on the sidewalk, I don’t like them walking on the streets and unsafe," said Brianna Harris, a mother of three.
Harris says she's always looking for ways to keep her kids safe this holiday.
“We will walk in that neighborhood, we don’t do big cross streets, so we’ll drive to the next neighborhood just so they’re not on driving traffic," Harris said.
She says it's more important now than ever.
Just this month, Channel 13 reported that two 12-year-olds and one 10-year-old child were killed on our valley roadways.
I asked Harris if the recent crashes and deadly incidents are on the back of her mind while walking near valley roadways with her children.
“Of course it is, It’s always scary to think that they could get hurt," Harris said.
Two of the deadly crashes, one involving 12-year-old Cristofer Suarez and the other involving 10-year-old Marquis Abraham, happened about two miles from each other in the east valley.
The side of town that Harris and her family lives.
“As a mother, I hate hearing those stories because my heart hurts for them so you know that just makes me hold my babies a little tighter and watch them a little closer," Harris said.
Suarez was hit and killed near Rancho High School and Abraham killed in a neighborhood near Walnut Road and Owens Avenue.
In front of Rancho High is a busy roadway with fast drivers and the neighborhood has dark streets with no sidewalks throughout most of it.
Josh Sablan, a father of five, says that needs to change.
"More lights and be more vigilant," Sablan said.
Clark County is putting a focus on safety as well with its Inside by 9 campaign.
This initiative encourages trick-or-treaters to wrap up before 9 p.m. and for neighborhoods to start turning off porch lights and giving out candy before then to encourage more children to get off the streets and home safely.
Harris tells me she has other suggestions on top of that to keep kids safe this weekend.
“Walk with your kids to the doors, don’t just watch from the street, hold your kids hand, make sure you’re keeping a close eye on them, don’t just let them run around," Harris said.
Many parents in our community tell me they hope all of their efforts will result in a safe, fun night and weekend for everyone.
CSSD students have a three-day weekend right now with schools closed October 31 due to Nevada Day. Plus, clocks turn back at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, so it will get darker quicker, adding to the necessity of these safety programs.
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