Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick poses with Hunter Gregory, 10, on left, and his brother, Wesley Gregory, 15.

BY SHERI TRUSTY

Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick was the guest speaker at the Friday, Oct. 6 Crime Watch meeting at the Bay Township Fire Department. Levorchick chatted with kids dressed in Halloween costumes and talked to parents about keeping their kids safe on Halloween.

While parents worry about finding foreign objects like razor blades in their children’s Halloween candy, Levorchick said parents must be aware of bigger dangers.

“Yes, absolutely check your kids’ candy, but the bigger concern is kidnapping,” he said. “I don’t want parents to be paranoid, but there are people out there who are just plain evil.”

Levorchick talked about simple steps parents can take to keep their kids safe.

Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick, left, was the guest speaker at the October Crime Watch meeting hosted by Mel McCord, right.

“If it’s after dark, make sure your child is wearing something lighted or make sure their hand is in your hand,” he said. “Watch out for traffic. There’s a lot of traffic in Port Clinton on Halloween. Cars are moving everywhere.”

Levorchick asked parents to simply keep their attention focused on their children and their surroundings.

Adrian Metodiev, 4, was all smiles in his Mario costume at the October Crime Watch meeting.

“Keep your head on a swivel and be aware. Watch your kids,” he said.

Levorchick knows he is heading into the Halloween festivities not only with well-trained, caring deputies but also with a community full of residents who look out for each other.

“My biggest blessing is living in this community. Ottawa County is the best county to be sheriff, and I tell that to the state’s 87 other sheriffs,” he said. “Here, we still care about each other. Here, we still watch out for each other.”

Each summer, tourists travel from all over the country to fish and boat in Ottawa County, but they don’t always recognize the county’s greatest resource, its people.

“Here, we have the marinas and the lake, which is great, but it’s the people that make this a great community,” Levorchick said.

Bay Township Crime Watch meetings are open to the public. They are hosted by Mel McCord the first Thursday of every month except January at the Bay Township Hall at 4471 W. Fremont Road, Port Clinton. A free dinner is served starting at 6 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7 p.m.

For more information, call the Bay Township Crime Watch line at 419-734-7007 or visit the Bay Township Crime Watch Facebook page.