Students may begrudge the Chapel Hill Police Department’s efforts to downsize the Halloween festivities on Franklin Street, but the department’s intentions are well-placed.
Community members participating in this year’s festivities should not only show respect to the law enforcement who put extra effort into managing the risk the night poses, they should also be extra cautious to look out for their friends’ safety as well as their own.
Every year on the night of Oct. 31, large amounts of people come together to visit downtown bars and cavort in public while wearing outfits that can often obscure identity.
The setting is rife with potential risks that must be mitigated. Local police will be making their efforts to do so, but the choices people make should reflect that knowledge as well.
Revelers should stick in groups, make sure everyone is accounted for and be willing to assert themselves when it’s time for someone to stop drinking.
If someone appears to be in danger, alert the authorities; don’t antagonize officers for doing their job.
The safety precautions for this event are in place for the community’s benefit, not as a punishment. Chapel Hill residents should not take this fact for granted.
