California Police Chief- Fall 2013 CPCA_2018_Winter Magazine-FINAL | Page 20

patch), Haunted Cemetery (Patrol), Greatest Show on Earth
(Records), Nightmare Before Christmas (Patrol), Pirates of
the Caribbean (Investigations), Star Wars (Horizons Family
Counseling), Zombie Land (Patrol), Haunted Hotel (Property
and Evidence), Frozen (Chief’s Office), and Spider Room
(Patrol). Staff members dressed in costumes in each themed
area to greet the guests and hand out candy.
Each year the Trick or Treat Trail seems to grow and
improve. This year we used the “Nextdoor” social media
site to allow guests to vote for their favorite themed deco-
rated area of the department. “Alice in Wonderland” was the
winner. In previous years, the Livermore Pleasanton Fire
Department (LPFD) took part in the Trick or Treat Trail by
parking a firetruck in front of the department and interact-
ing with the guests as they waited to get inside. This year
the LPFD Foundation set up a BBQ and cooked hot dogs
and sausages which were supplied to all our guests for
free along with sodas and chips. The feedback we received
afterward was incredibly positive for LPFD Foundation
providing dinner. Donations that are put towards families
affected by line of duty deaths for Police and Fire were
accepted.
The Trick or Treat Trail has turned out to be an incred-
ible event for LPD. It energizes our staff and provides an
opportunity for everyone to come together for a purpose
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of engaging the community. The themes and decorating
become competitive with each unit trying to “out-decorate”
the others. The enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication of
our staff is evident from the outstanding end result when
the first guests walk the trail. Our community has em-
braced the Trick or Treat Trail and the feedback we receive
leading up to, and after, the event is incredibly positive.
Want to create a Trick or Treat Trail at your agency? Just
do it. Identify a few passionate employees and turn them
loose. Start small with a few decorated areas within the
department/station. Use social media sites to invite the
community. Watch the event grow when your staff sees the
positive results and embrace the event. You may be sur-
prised by how many of your staff are Halloween fans and
have garages full of decorations just waiting for a place to
set them up. We have a small line item in our budget for
the event, and we seek donations from vendors such as
Costco and Wal-Mart to assist in the purchase of the candy
that is given out during the event. We suggest that you
have special treats for children who suffer from allergies,
and also create alternate paths allowing younger guests to
avoid the scarier decorated areas. A successful Trick or Treat
Trail is limited only by the imagination and enthusiasm of
your employees. No matter how big or small you go, your
community will love it. ■