A legitimately scary Halloween

Hundreds of screaming young thugs committing vandalism, public drunkenness, trespassing, destruction of private property, littering and disturbing the peace with traffic jams — just the annual “spirited” Halloween night on Kenneth Road.

My husband and I stopped passing out candy three years ago (after our pumpkins were smashed, our decorations stolen and our driveway egged.) Now we turn off all lights and peer out through closed shutters at rowdy crowds milling up and down the length of the street.

Last night, we watched a male youth laugh as he dumped out all over our grass the recycling receptacle a neighborhood group requested we be kind enough to provide at our property. Later, huge groups of teens, almost none in costume, lounged on our front steps, staggered up and down our driveway tossing beer cans in the hedge, and dug up our lawn with a wrestling match.

This has got to be curtailed, either by police, the Kenneth Village Merchants Assn., the much-vaunted historic districting committee, or the City Council. A much-anticipated holiday of spooky fun has been hijacked into a demonstration of outright terrorism.

This has nothing to do with neighborhood trick-or-treating. The majority of these kids don’t even live here, they are clearly driving in, and the local children with parents (adorable), or younger costumed teens in small groups (just as charming), and are off the streets by 8 p.m. anyway. I saw several families out later who appeared genuinely frightened by the scuffling crowds, as well they should have been.

I encourage every homeowner affected to stand up and insist on an early curfew, blocking off Kenneth Road to traffic, or some other official move to ensure the safety of Kenneth residents.

Halloween should not be legitimately scary.

Lucy Brand

Glendale