Police outline Halloween staffing on Union Street, tell council broad closures would be difficult

At the Oct. 14 meeting, Concord Police Chief Hughes told the City Council that the department traditionally staffs Union Street on Halloween with officers and sergeants at both the north and south ends of the corridor to monitor trick-or-treat activity.

Chief Hughes said historically the department provides roughly two officers and a sergeant on the north end and similarly on the south end, roughly from about 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., or until trick-or-treaters have largely cleared the area. He told council the practice began after a long-ago robbery-type incident along Union Street and has continued since.

Council members asked whether the city could close Union Street for longer hours or treat Halloween like a parade or 5K. Chief Hughes said the principal difference is that parade and race events are often cosponsored by the city; when the city cosponsors an event, the city covers personnel overtime and resources. “In this case, council has not deemed [Halloween] a cosponsored event, therefore, you know, thus the dilemma,” he said.

Chief Hughes also noted that Halloween is a citywide event with trick-or-treating in many neighborhoods; expanding closures beyond the current downtown footprint would increase operational impacts and demand for resources. Council and staff discussed that individual neighborhoods can request street closures but such requests would require council action.

The chief also said Concord maintains a presence of police at the Bridal Transit Center and that the transit operation coordinates security training and federal funding documentation as needed, part of a broader attention to transit security following high-profile rail incidents elsewhere.

No formal council action was taken on closures at this meeting; staff advised council on the operational implications and the cosponsorship process for events.