Pumpkin Patrol keeps goblins, ghosts safe

  • Published
  • By Christine June
  • U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany --  Four-year-old Jaylan Mayers was able to go trick-or-treating for the first time last year thanks to the Pumpkin Patrol. 

For at least 20 years, Pumpkin Patrols consisting of the German Zivil-Polizei (Civilian Police) Air Force's Security Police and the Military Police have patrolled all five housing areas in the Kaiserslautern military community during trick-or-treating hours.
 
"We've been kind of afraid because of the cars and when they are so little, you just don't know what might happen if they pull away from you," said Jaylan's mother, Barbara Mayers while they were trick-or-treating last year at the housing area on Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. "I decided to come out this year because I heard that the SPs and MPs were going to be out here and that made me feel safer about him walking around."
 
Air Force Master Sgt. David Houtz, the 569th U.S. Security Forces Police Squadron's installation security NCOIC, has been involved with Pumpkin Patrols for 10 years.
"The biggest thing is that we want to be able to control traffic to ensure that children and their parents are safe and that it's an enjoyable event for all," said Houtz, who said all members of the Pumpkin Patrol are volunteering their off-duty hours.
 
About 80 SPs and ZPs from the 569th USFPS, as well as 15 MPs from the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern, will be grouped in two-manned teams patrolling housing areas on LRMC, Vogelweh, Sembach Annex and Kapaun Air Station. About 40 SPs from the 435th Security Forces Squadron and volunteers from the Ramstein High School's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps will be patrolling the housing area on Ramstein Air Base.
 
"I've seen them on every street, watching out for the children and stopping cars," said Mayers.
 
Her husband couldn't agree more.
 
"They (SPs and MPs) are all over the place," said Capt. Jerry Mayers, from the Landstuhl Dental Activity. "There are no teenagers out here causing a ruckus - no pumpkins smashed in the middle of the street - no eggs or toilet paper. I don't see any property damage. This is a great experience so far."
 
Pumpkin Patrols can offer parents peace of mind while they are trick-or-treating with their children. Parents can also help to keep trick-or-treaters safe. 

First thing parents can do said Tech. Sgt. André Murray, the 435th SFS police services NCOIC, who has been involved with Pumpkin Patrols for nine years, deals with traffic, specifically parking. 

"It would help us out a lot if they (parents) could park in designated spaces outside of the housing area and walk from there," said Murray. 

He mentioned that most parking spaces in housing areas are reserved for residents. For those trick-or-treating in Ramstein, he suggests parking in the Base Exchange or the middle and elementary school parking lots. 

Staff Sgt. Robert Eastman, an MP with the garrison's Directorate of Emergency Services, advises parents whose children are trick-or-treating on Vogelweh Housing to either park in the three visitor's parking lots or on Vogelweh and walk across the bridge to the housing area.