With Halloween approaching, Belle Marshal Jerry Coborn recently visited children at Doodlebugs Learning Center in Belle to share trick-or-treating safety tips, answer questions and introduce youngsters to some of the equipment used in law enforcement.

Coborn emphasized the importance of having Halloween candy inspected by a parent or guardian before eating it.

“You want to make sure when you get your candy, you don’t eat it right then,” Coborn told the children. “You wait ‘till you get home and your parents check it before you eat your candy, right?”

Several children responded in agreement as Coborn continued discussing precautions families should take while trick-or-treating.

“You want to make sure that you’re walking routes that you’re familiar with,” he said.

He also encouraged children to remain with trusted adults and travel in groups rather than wandering away from family members or friends.

Visibility was another important part of the presentation, particularly for children who may be trick-or-treating after sunset.

“You want to wear decent bright colors or some kind of flashlight so people can see you,” Coborn said.

Glow sticks were also suggested as another way to help children remain visible while walking through neighborhoods.

The visit included an opportunity for the youngsters to ask Coborn questions about police work.

“You guys have any questions for me?” he asked.

Several children expressed an interest in becoming police officers, while others talked excitedly about their planned Halloween costumes.

Coborn also demonstrated his police radio, explaining how officers communicate with dispatch personnel while responding to calls.

“This is what I use for my work,” he said. “It’s how I talk to the people that work the radio on the other side, and they answer calls.”

When a child asked whether they could hear the radio, Coborn demonstrated the equipment, allowing the group to listen as a response came through.

“So that lets me know that they can hear me and I can hear them,” he explained. “It’s our way of communicating with each other.”

Before concluding his visit, Coborn distributed sticker badges identifying the youngsters as junior officers, giving them a keepsake from the presentation.