BPD hosts 'HalLAWeen' trick-or-treating at headquarters
Oct. 28—Superheroes and princesses and cheerleaders and animals squirmed and twirled while waiting for the Bakersfield Police Department to open the doors to its downtown headquarters Thursday.
The impatient reaction wasn't surprising as the line to enter into "HalLAWeen," the BPD's safe trick-or-treating event, stretched across Truxtun Avenue, halfway down Eye Street before wrapping around and snaking back across Truxtun and down Chester Avenue. Hundreds showed up to trick-or-treat at BPD headquarters, an event that lasted from 4 to 7 p.m.
"(We got here around) 3 o'clock to beat the lines," said Hector Leonzo, as his two children waited with empty buckets, near the front of the queue.
Emily Leonzo, 4, dressed as Mirabel from the Disney movie "Encanto" held onto her mother and said she was excited to see the decorations.
And when the doors opened, she wasn't disappointed. Bikini Bottom, the undersea city where the hit show "SpongeBob SquarePants" takes place, greeted every eager candy-seeker.
"I think half the kids of Bakersfield are here," joked BPD Chaplain Angelo Frazier as he warmly welcomed kids and adults entering into the transformed headquarters.
Children walked through roughly a dozen different scenes, such as an enchanted forest, a pirate cove and cutouts of Scooby-Doo and his mystery-solving friends. Each location was filled with costumed staff, ready to plop some candy into awaiting buckets.
"I see you," said a person dressed as Velma from "Scooby-Doo," while holding a magnifying glass up to a child.
A haunting yet beautiful melody played as Micaela Salazar received some candy, stickers and pencil after roaming through the enchanted forest. Salazar — who promptly informed a reporter she's 10 but almost 11 — looked forward to seeing her own mother dressed as a "Star Wars" character handing out candy.
A clown jumped out at some family members walking through another division, prompting some mothers to say they were scared.
A sheet spattered with a red substance and a body bag greeted Micaela as she walked into the crime lab. It's ketchup, she dutifully informed the group peering in at the sight behind her.
BPD Lt. Ryan Kroeker said the event allows residents to get a positive experience from police and hopes that memory will stay with them as they pass by the BPD.
"We want to make people feel welcome," he added.
Glitter shone in the hair of 4-year-old Kamila Ceja as she said she was supposed to be a mermaid, in the parking lot behind the headquarters. But more candy awaited her as firefighters, probation officers and others lined up to hand out more treats.
"The pumpkins," Kamila said of her favorite part of the tour.
Hector Leonzo's daughter, Emily Leonzo, said after traveling through different parts of BPD's headquarters she thought some scenes were spooky.
His 6-year-old son, Hector Leonzo, said he got a lot of candy, but didn't plan to eat all his candy in one day.
That answer made his family laugh as they all trooped toward the exit.
You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter.
