Haunted Happenings Text-A-Tip

The Salem Police in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Police have established a Text-A-Tip line for this weekend's festivities. The system allows for anonymous two way messaging between the public and the police. We encourage everyone to program the number into their phone, and to report any suspicious activity to us right away.

The Text-A-Tip was for the festivities and is no longer being monitored!

Although our staff will regularly monitor this service, it is not a replacement for 9-1-1 in an emergency. Citizens can also contact us at 978-744-1212 with any concerns.
The Salem Police thank the Massachusetts State Police for providing this valuable resource to us.

Halloween Road Closures

The Salem Police will be closing the following roads on Friday, October 31, 2014 from about 4:00 pm until 11:30 pm:

• Washington St. from New Derby St. to Bridge St.
• Essex St. from Barton Square to Union St.
• Derby St. from Lafayette St. to Union St.
• Brown St. at New Liberty St.
• Lafayette St. from Derby St. to Front St.
• Hawthorne Blvd. from Derby St. to Essex St.
• Washington Sq. West from Essex St. to Brown St. Washington Sq. South closed. Washington Sq. North closed from Brown to Winter St.
• Winter St. at Bridge St. closed to inbound traffic.
• Williams St. at Bridge St.
• Congress St. closed at South Harbor Garage. Vehicles will be detoured to Pickering Way out to Derby St. Derby St. inbound traffic detoured to Wharf St. out to Congress St.
• Front St., Charter St., and Central St. closed to traffic.
• Federal Street closed to traffic from St. Peters St. to North St.

Bridge Street will also be closed at the North Street Overpass through the James Ayube Bypass Road at 10:00 pm through 11:30 pm.

The Salem Police will also be posting and enforcing "No Parking - Tow Zones" from 4:00 pm until 12:00 am on the following streets:

• Lafayette St. both sides Front St. to Derby St.
• Public parking lot along Front St. Public parking spaces located on Central St. in front of old police station.
• Essex St. from Barton Sq. to Hawthorne Blvd.
• Derby St. both sides between Union St. and Lafayette St.
• Hawthorne Blvd. both sides.
• Front St.
• Central St.
• Washington St. from New Derby St. to Bridge St. both sides.
• Washington Sq. North, South, and West both sides.
• Norman St. from Washington to Crombie St.
• New Derby St. between Klop Alley and Lafayette St.

Additionally both sides of Federal St. from Washington St. to the Old Superior Court Building (32 Federal St) and Washington St. in front of 50 Washington St. will be "No Parking - Tow Zone" from 8:00 am until 12:00 am (midnight) on Friday.

Additional roads may be closed on an as needed basis

Help us keep Haunted Happenings safe, contact us at 978-744-1212 with any public safety concerns.

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Hours and Safety Tips

Chief Paul F. Tucker has announced that neighborhood Trick or Treat times for Halloween will be on October 31, 2014 from 5:30 p.m. through 8:00 p.m.

The Salem Police have also released the following informational pamphlet with information for parents to help keep this Halloween fun and safe for all.

Be sure to check back later this week for detailed information about this weekend's Haunted Happenings Festivities.

Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SalemMAPolice and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SalemMAPolice for additional information about Haunted Happenings including safety tips, contact information, road closures, and public safety notices.

October 18th and 19th Special Events

The Salem Police remind everyone this will be another busy weekend in Salem. In addition to crowds and heavy traffic, residents should remember there will be the following road closures, parking restrictions, and special events:

• Saturday 10/18: The Salem YMCA Witch City 5K starts at 9:00 am at Salem Willows Park. There area no road closures or parking restrictions in effect for this event, however residents should expect traffic to be impacted along the course.

• Saturday 10/18: The Police Department anticipates closing Essex Street from Hawthorne Boulevard to New Liberty Street to accommodate pedestrian traffic from about 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. This will also be a “No Parking” area. The Museum Place Mall Garage will still be accessible from Brown Street.

• Sunday 10/19: The Witch Ride Motorcycle Ride will arrive in Salem around noon time. Residents should expect Lafayette Street (Rt. 114), Derby Street, and Congress Street to be closed while the ride arrives in the city. There will also be a “No Parking – Tow Zone” established on Derby Street from Lafayette Street to Congress Street from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

• Sunday 10/19: The Police Department anticipates closing Essex Street from Hawthorne Boulevard to New Liberty Street to accommodate pedestrian traffic from about 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. This will also be a “No Parking” area. The Museum Place Mall Garage will still be accessible from Brown Street.

• Sunday 10/19: The first cruise ship, the Seabourne Quest, is expected to dock. The Blaney Street parking lot at the Salem Wharf will be closed from Saturday 10/18 at 10:00 pm until Sunday 10/19 at 6:00 pm. All vehicles must be removed from the lot prior to the closure. The lot will be available to Salem Ferry customers after passing through a security check point. Alternate parking is available for residents at the Bentley School Lot, the rear row of the VFW (95 Derby St), and the House of Seven Gables lot (115 Derby St). Cars must be removed from the Bentley School and VFW by 8:00 pm Sunday night and from the House of Seven Gables at 8:30 am Sunday morning. The city anticipates this to be a one time situation and that permanent facilities for future cruises will be completed.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter (@SalemMAPolice) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/SalemMAPolice) for updates as the weekend progresses.

Help us keep Haunted Happenings safe for all! Please report any suspicious or concerning activity to us at 978-744-1212!

Salem Police on Social Media

The Salem Police Department is excited to announce our new initiative to expand our presence on social media. The department recognizes the potential that services like Facebook and Twitter can provide to allow us to expand our connection with our community. We have established official accounts on both Facebook and Twitter, and will begin posting regularly to both as well as our department's website.

We invite everyone to follow us at the following accounts:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SalemMAPolice (@SalemMAPolice)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SalemMAPolice
Our Website: www.salempd.net

Although we will regularly monitor messages and comments on these sites, we would like to remind the public they are not an appropriate method of contacting the department about in progress incidents. Please continue to contact us at 911 in an emergency or at 978- 744-1212 for non-emergency requests for assistance.

Any questions about this program should be directed to Lt. Conrad Prosniewski, Salem Police Public Information Officer at 978-740-0171 ext 200 or by email at cprosniewski@salempd.net.