Calgary police are warning of possible Halloween candy tampering

The Calgary Police Service is investigating one report of possible candy tampering during this year’s Halloween.

On Tuesday, November 1, a woman in the community of Rosemont reported that her child had found a sewing pin inside a small chocolate bar. The child had not eaten the candy and, therefore was not injured.

Police and the child’s parents have not been able to determine where the chocolate bar came from, but the children were only trick or treating in their community. The investigation is still ongoing.

Police are urging parents to always check their children’s candy before letting them dig in.

Tips for parents:

• Only let kids eat treats that are produced in a commercial factory and still in their sealed packaging. Homemade goods, fruit or unwrapped goods should be discarded.

• Check candy wrappers for any holes, tears, openings or signs that they have be opened and re-wrapped. If anything is found, discard the candy.

• If something looks suspicious or you do not recognize what kind of candy it is, discard it.

• When in doubt, throw it out.

• If you find candy that has been tampered with (I.e. has something dangerous inside it), report it to your nearest police district office.

Police say candy tampering is extremely rare in Calgary and injuries resulting from it are even rarer. Never the less, taking a few minutes to look through a child’s bag of candy is a good way for parents to help their kids enjoy a safe Halloween.

Anyone with information about a candy tampering incident is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods. By phone at 1-800-222-8477, via the internet by going onto www.calgarycrimestoppers.org or by texting tttTIPS to 274637.