WACO, Texas (KXXV) — For years, Colcord Avenue in Waco's Sanger Heights neighborhood has welcomed 3,000 to 4,000 trick-or-treaters on Halloween night. But this year, the popular destination faces a safety crisis after the neighborhood association decided it can no longer afford to pay for street closures and police presence.
- Sanger Heights Neighborhood Association stopped paying for Colcord Avenue street closures and police presence on Halloween due to liability concerns, leaving 3,000-4,000 expected trick-or-treaters without official safety measures.
- District 4 Councilmember Darius Ewing said the city's role wasn't clearly communicated and suggested potential traffic calming measures and possibly informal police presence as alternatives.
- Residents clarify that they do not "put on" Halloween events, saying thousands naturally show up and they simply try to manage crowds safely, but homes still plan to welcome trick-or-treaters despite safety uncertainties.
You can watch the full story here:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"The board and I got together and decided, we can't take the risk anymore it's just too much," said Rory Partin, President of The Sanger Heights Neighborhood Association.
The Sanger Heights Neighborhood Association has historically paid to barricade Colcord Avenue and provide police presence during Halloween festivities. However, liability concerns prompted the board to stop funding these safety measures, leaving residents to seek help from the city.
Cars speeding up and down Colcord Avenue create dangerous conditions for thousands of pedestrians who spill onto sidewalks and streets during Halloween night activities.
"At night, it's harder to see, there aren't a whole lot of lights, and so with 3 to 4 thousand people spilling off into the sidewalk, it's extremely dangerous," said Partin.
After weeks of emails requesting city intervention, District 4 City Councilmember Darius Ewing responded with a statement saying the city's role wasn't clearly communicated.
"If there was an ask for the city to take on the responsibility of Halloween on Colcord, it was not made clear," Ewing said.
Ewing's statement outlined potential traffic calming measures, including encouraging parents to drive slowly and possibly providing an informal police presence. Partin welcomed any city assistance.
"Anything the city will do to step in and step up to protect our people, by our people, I mean Waco, I am 100% for," Partin said.
However, Ewing also noted that after discussions with the neighborhood association, "it became clear the board of the neighborhood association did not wish to be responsible for putting on Halloween on Colcord any longer."
The full statement from Darius Ewing can be read below:
"In speaking with the NA I have also heard that it is not a cost issue. In fact I checked with staff and had buy-in to help with that aspect if the association wished to pursue it. After speaking with the vice president of the association, it became clear the board of the neighborhood association did not wish to be responsible for putting on Halloween on Colcord any longer, at least with the current board constitution. In the future they may wish to take it back on, but if there was an ask for the city to take on the responsibility of Halloween on Colcord, it was not made clear, nor would there be sufficient time if there was a will to do so.
I certainly don’t want this tradition to end, I’m a former Colcord resident, and also the father of a daughter who will get to trick-or-treat for the first time this year. With that being said, I believe the event can and will still substantially take place! It seems the NA does not want to move forward with taking on the liability of insuring the event or paying for the road closures/PD, but for years there were no road closures or stationed PD officers at Halloween on Colcord. I believe this year there will be plenty of candy to be handed out and plenty of children strolling down the street. My hope is we can provide some alternatives for future years, and even this year potentially have traffic calming measures - like car lined streets, parents driving slowly down the street while their kids safely traverse the sidewalks, and potentially even an informal police presence.
All of this to say - this is an important event for Waco’s district 4, North Waco, and for myself personally. In the future I look forward to working with the neighborhood association to bring about vibrant and safe Halloween on Colcord, and am excited to partake in the event this year, even if slightly scaled back."
Partin disputes the characterization that the neighborhood "puts on" Halloween events, explaining that residents simply manage crowds that naturally gather.
"We did not start this, this is not something we put on, people just show up, we don't invite them, we don't ask them to come, thousands show up, and we try and keep them safe, that's it," Partin said.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding official safety measures, homes on Colcord Avenue still expect trick-or-treaters and plan to do their best to keep the community safe during Halloween festivities.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
