Dressing down Halloween

Deepa Bharath

Public safety officials and shopping center administrators in Newport

Beach and Costa Mesa say they are going to maintain their heightened

sense of alertness through Halloween and the rest of the holiday season.

Officials debunked a widely circulated e-mail saying terrorists will

target malls this Halloween as nothing more than an urban myth.

The FBI, which issued a terrorism warning Monday telling Americans to

remain alert this week, has confirmed that there is no truth to the

e-mail rumor, said Costa Mesa Police Lt. Ron Smith.

He said much-feared anthrax cases seem like a farfetched possibility

this Halloween in local communities.

“I have not heard of any advisories warning us about anthrax,” Smith

said. “I would just say that if you are suspicious of any treats or candy

your children get, just throw them away. Candy is not expensive, and it

is better to be safe than sorry.”

Costa Mesa also will increase the number of officers patrolling South

Coast Plaza beginning on Halloween, Smith said.

“We traditionally step up our visibility in the plaza at the beginning

of the holiday season, which is Halloween,” he said. “Also, everybody is

a little more jittery than usual these days. So we want to make sure

people feel safe.”

South Coast Plaza has been on “high security alert” since the Sept. 11

attacks, spokeswoman Debra Gunn Downing said.

“We’ve stepped up all our security measures,” she said. “We will be

checking all deliveries coming to our loading docks and will monitor our

roof tops.”

Security staff will also look for suspicious activity, Downing said.

“Customers can report anything suspicious to our security staff, who

will be very visible at the plaza,” she said. “We don’t anticipate any

problems, but we’re prepared.”

Fashion Island officials declined to discuss their security measures,

but they do have a “comprehensive security program,” spokesman Rich

Elbaum said.

“We review and update our security measures frequently,” he said.

Schools are on a more heightened sense of alertness than they were a

few months ago, said Mike Fine, assistant superintendent of business

services for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

“We also have a new program this year where we are asking kids to

dress up as their favorite heroes instead of as monsters or witches or

pumpkins,” he said. “We’ve asked them to focus on something they aspire

to be.”

Newport Beach police will also have additional officers patrolling the

streets on Halloween, just as they do every year, said Andi Querry, crime

prevention specialist.

“People should call us if they find any suspicious candy,” she said.

“But if they just don’t feel comfortable going out this year or sending

their kids out, our advice would be for them to just stay home.”

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .

FYI

Halloween tips from the Newport Beach Police Department:

Parents should:

* know the route children will be taking;

* ensure children are accompanied by an adult;

* set time limits on when children should return home;

* instruct children not to eat treats until they get home and parents

have a chance to inspect the candy;

* throw away any treats not wrapped and sealed by a food company.

Children should:

* cross only at corners;

* never cross between parked cars;

* always remove masks before crossing a street;

* never go into a stranger’s house.