Poll: Do Curfews Kill Halloween?

Does crime increase around Halloween?

Common sense would seem to suggest it does, what with older kids doing their pranks on Mischief Night, the day before Halloween, by toilet papering trees, egging passing cars, and smashing pumpkins (the act of smashing, not the band.) And then there is the ever present fear of parents that sexual predators are on the loose, who would seem to see Halloween as a golden opportunity.

Interestingly, though, the statistics on Halloween crime show that any increase is a statistic blip. A study that examined crimes committed on and around Halloween via an examination of the National Incident-Base Reporting System showed no statistical increase in sex-related crimes in that timeframe.

The researchers studied statistics over an 8-year period ending in 2005 and found no evidence to show that predators target Halloween more than they do any other time of the year.

The study concluded that the act of marshaling police resources to combat Halloween crime is a waste of resources "to attend to a problem that does not appear to exist," they said.

That leaves the traditional mayhem that ensures mostly on Mischief Night, the evening before Halloween where kids engage in minor property damage. Many towns seek to prevent the problem by enforcing curfews.

Woodbridge will have a for Mischief Night and Halloween. Teens and children, 18 and under, are banned from being out without parental escort from 7 pm to dawn on both days, and the police have said they will be using "special Halloween patrols" on both days.

What do you think? Will curfews kill Halloween, or is this a justified safety precaution? Take the poll!