Parents can bring candy to Houlton Police Department to be X-rayed on Halloween

HOULTON, Maine — On Halloween night, from 6-9:30 pm, agents from the U.S. Customs & Border Protection will be available at the police department to demonstrate their non-intrusive x-ray inspection equipment on any fruit, candy or bake products received by a child on Halloween night.
    The Houlton Police Department urges all parents in the greater Houlton area to take advantage of this free service. The department cautions parents that the exam is not intended to substitute their responsibility to visually inspect their child’s treats after a night of trick or treating.
The police department urges parents to:
• Have your child dump out all the candy he/she received when going door to door. Doing this on a table in a well-lit room is helpful.
• Separate out all homemade goodies or fresh fruit. Unless you know the neighbor who packed little bags of homemade popcorn, gave rice krispie treats or apples, you may want to consider discarding them.
• Remove and toss out all unwrapped candy.
• Gently inspect the remainder of the store-bought candy for any open packaging or anything that looks like it has been damaged or tampered with.
Additionally while supplies last, each child to visit the police department Halloween night will receive a sticker and/or a glow-in-the-dark necklace courtesy of the HPD.
For additional information on Halloween safety, contact Chief Butch Asselin.