Call it, “Mischief Night” or, “Devil’s Night,” the night before Halloween Day has had a long tradition of being the night when youth play pranks on their neighbors. From what I’m told West Easton doesn’t have a problem with anything serious being done, but it’s better to be forewarned and take precautions, than be taken by surprise.
In my youth, my brothers and I would be armed with nothing more than rolls of toilet paper and shaving cream, to meet up with other neighborhood kids at a designated location. A tree or two would be attacked with toilet paper resulting in white streamers the following morning. Most years, we started with our own tree. Mailboxes might be carefully filled with shaving cream and then closed, leaving no evidence of our having visited it, until the homeowner opened it the following day. Car windows might also find shaving cream.
Nothing extreme and nothing that cost anyone monetary damage. A garden hose would wash away hours worth of our sneaking and skulking under the cover of darkness, in only a few minutes. My old man would always have us clean up the tree in our own yard, after providing a few choice words about us, that implied our mother wasn’t married to him when we were born.
Today, things are different in some communities. It isn’t always harmless pranks that greet a homeowner on Halloween morning. Broken car windows, flat tires, keyed cars, stolen or destroyed lawn ornaments, spray painted siding, and other costly vandalism is done under the excuse of, “Mischief Night.”
In 1984, Detroit had more than 800 fires set there on Devil’s Night, leading to a serious crackdown and an Oct. 30th curfew for minors that persists to this day. This year, the mayor of Detroit has recruited an army of more than 30,000 volunteers to patrol their neighborhoods to prevent any similar mayhem.
Back in my time we never tried our pranks on a home that was well lit outside. Lights deterred us and that holds true today. Keep outside lights on. All of them. The few dollars spent on electricity for one night of having your home lighted like a Philadelphia Airport runway is far less expensive than vandalism.
Back in my time there were no camera systems mounted on homes. Constant 24/7 monitoring and recording was found in only the richest neighborhoods (where I didn’t live). A good infrared camera security system for less than $280, that is clearly advertised on your property as being present, not only protects your home on the night of October 30th, but all year round from random acts of vandalism. I have had one for more than a year. The cameras aren’t hidden and signs on the front and back of my property make it clear that a person who might be contemplating doing damage will be recorded. It only took me couple of hours to install.
Back in my time police were more lenient when they caught kids out on mischief night. If you were armed with harmless items (such as toilet paper) you were given a ride home and parents were told to keep you home, which meant you were done for the night and had to listen to your friends, who escaped capture, tell you how the rest of the night went.
Today, because of the damage being done, many communities in the country now have a “zero” tolerance policy.
In Sayerville, NJ for example, this year will find changes toward how youth are treated:
- A Zero Tolerance policy toward acts of criminal mischief, trespassing and aggressive behavior. Anyone found defacing or damaging private property will be arrested and charged.
- Police will confiscate all items, including toilet paper and shaving cream, from juveniles found wandering around the Borough unsupervised.
- Any juveniles found with items police feel poses a significant threat to people or property will be brought to headquarters and processed according to the law. These items include eggs, spray paint, paintball guns, and any other items that could be considered a threat.
As parents, take the initiative with your own children. My parents allowed us to have some harmless fun, but we were given ground rules of what we could do (harmless pranks) and what we could not do (damage property). We were told not to join, follow, or even watch others who went beyond our own given guidelines of behavior. We were given a time to be home and God help us if we didn’t get back by that time.
Keep a light on and have a Happy Halloween.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
