City police report odd Halloween happenings

By Andrea Azzo

Halloween is a holiday known more for its treats than tricks.

However, DeKalb Police Sergeant Tom Petit said a group of trick-or-treaters allegedly broke a window of an elderly couple’s home Monday. Eggshells were also found on the windows.

This incident was among a handful that happened on the Halloween ride-along. The couple’s neighbor said she saw four kids running from the house, but could not identify them because it was dark outside.

Petit said he suspects the kids did this because the elderly couple stopped giving candy after sunset.

“It’s a dumb tradition,” Petit said. “Kids toil with houses that don’t answer.”

DeKalb Police Lt. Carl Leoni said the police don’t staff extra units on Halloween because the crime rate is not significantly different from the rest of the year. The main priority is to keep kids safe.

There were 20 calls early Sunday morning in only a one-and-a-half hour span. Sunday morning saw a total of about 80 phone calls from midnight until 10 a.m., said DeKalb Police Dispatcher Linda Besler.

DeKalb police also responded to a call around 8 p.m. in which a man was allegedly held at gunpoint. DeKalb Police Dispatcher Jill Meyer said a man pointed a pellet gun at another man’s head and demanded that the unarmed man give his stuff back. No one was hurt during the altercation and the man was arrested.

Halloween is always interesting for police because they see unusual things, Meyer said. Once, Meyer saw a woman dressed as the Little Mermaid sitting in the police station next to another cartoon character. Both individuals were drunk, Meyer said.

“They started making out,” Besler said.

There are a number of factors that predict whether a day will be busy or not, including weather, Besler said.

Petit sat in his police car during a lull and said Monday nights are typically not busy. Suddenly, a burst of calls came in that rushed Petit from one location to another. During the midst of these calls, Petit said, “Well, it is Halloween.”