Crimes to Watch Out for on Halloween

30 Sep, 20

• in Bail Bondsman, Crime Statistics

It’s commonly known that crimes have a tendency to spike around October 31st, and there’s a clear correlation with the holiday of Halloween.

The underlying tones of mischief and mayhem that accompany Halloween sure seem to draw out the crazies for an unhinged night of the increased crime. But what type of crimes do you really have to worry about on the 31st? Continue reading to find out, but beware…the answers may shock you!

Because the crime spike around Crimes on Halloween is well documented, law enforcement tends to be at the ready on the 31st of October, and there are generally extra patrols for the day. Because of this, many people who commit criminal acts on spooky holidays will find themselves under arrest. Upon arrest, they will have the option of going through the Bail Bonds process, which involves paying a fee to a Bail Bondsman in order to secure their release from police custody. If they show up to their scheduled court hearing after being released from custody, they will be able to recollect their bail money.

The rise in the Crime rate during Halloween

But what do we know about the trends in crime that are observed on Halloween? Halloween is among three distinct holidays of the year that see a notable rise in criminal behavior, with the other two being independence day and New Year’s Eve. It’s not hard to understand why we see an increase in unlawful behavior on these holidays, as they are all holidays where people feel encouraged to consume large amounts of alcohol as part of their celebration. This increase in alcohol consumption and Criminal Justice Reform has the obvious effect of causing more people to be on their worst behavior on the night of the holiday.

Drinking Alcohol

In one study, it was discovered that college students are more likely to consume alcohol at a costume party than they were at a regular party. This suggests that the very nature of Halloween may cause a sharp increase in intoxicated people, whose resulting poor judgment often gets them into trouble with the law. It should also be noted that law enforcement tends to go introduce more patrols and added DUI checkpoints on Halloween, increasing the likelihood that lawbreakers will be caught in the act.

With the increase in alcohol consumption, people’s inhibitions are lowered which makes it more likely that bad decisions will be made. Drunk driving makes up a considerable portion of the deaths that occur on Halloween each year, and the number of drunk drivers on the road increases on the holiday. This is compounded by the greater presence of pedestrians walking around at night, often in dark costumes that make it harder for them to be seen even by unimpaired drivers. Halloween is a dangerous night for pedestrians and drivers alike.

However, the kinds of Crimes on Halloween we see aren’t limited to mischief alone. In the city of Boston, there was a noted increase in violent crime on Halloween and Computer Crimes from 2006 through 2009. This includes homicide, rape, assault, and robbery, indicating that Halloween can be quite dangerous depending on where you live. During that same study in Boston, it was found that Halloween evening between 6:00 pm and midnight was the most dangerous time of the whole year for violent crime.

Halloween is seen by many as a celebration of all things dark or evil, and has the tendency to “bring out the crazies.” There are often incidents of animal abuse that are committed by deviant pranksters to shock communities; oftentimes they involve dismemberment or killings of local pets. In many cases, the animal carcasses are put on display to cause a panic in the neighborhood. These incidents are rare but seem to have a specific relationship with the holiday as if the people who commit these acts do so in celebration of Halloween.

However, in spite of all the crime that does occur on Halloween, there are some things you don’t have to worry much about. For instance, for years a myth has persisted about poisoned candy being passed out on Halloween, though actual instances of that occurring are very rare. The same is true for the razor blades in the apple myth.