Volunteers needed for Halloween safety teams

by Emily Patterson
For The Post

The city of Athens is looking for volunteers for this year's Halloween celebration on Nov. 3.

For the past two years, Athens has used volunteers to help control the Halloween festivities. The safety teams are people on the street who are not police officers but still could be of assistance to people partaking in the festivities.

Volunteers serve as a source of information and help enforce the laws in a way that is less confrontational than a uniformed police officer, said Athens City Councilman Jim Sands, D-at large.

In the past, volunteers have met the night of the celebration and split into groups of three or four. The safety teams wear recognizable jackets and stay in constant contact with police and emergency services through radio.

The volunteers walk in the downtown area and offer directions to people. They also remind people having parties of the noise ordinances, drinking and litter laws. Volunteers seek to be as friendly and non-intimidating as possible, trying to stop problems before they start, Sands said.

Each year the celebration gets larger, but because of precautionary measures such as the safety teams, it also has gotten calmer, Geographic Information Systems Coordinator Ron Lucas said. By volunteering, citizens can help make possible the famous celebration which otherwise might be an overwhelming task for a small town, he said.

The safety teams originally were the mayor's idea, and he has worked with city council to support the volunteer program in the past years. Council sees it as an important part of the celebration because police and emergency capabilities are extremely stressed during the weekend festivities, and the volunteers are a way to fill in the gaps, Sands said.

Overall, the volunteers enjoyed their role in the festivities, Councilwoman Carol Patterson, D-2^nd ward, said. Before participating, many had a negative feeling surrounding Halloween, believing that it was merely a wild reckless party. After volunteering though, they found a new appreciation for the community, the student population involved in the party and local tradition that the celebration promotes, she said.

"We joked at the end of the evening that we should charge people to do this. It was such and enjoyable evening." Patterson said.

The celebration pulled volunteers from throughout the city. Organizations such as the Southside Organization, a club dedicated to the improvement of the local community, recruited volunteers for the celebration, Patterson said.