Mt. Pleasant Officials Attempt To Crack Down On ‘Candy Carpetbaggers’

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MT. PLEASANT (KDKA) — In just a few weeks, kids from all over the area will be out trick-or-treating on Halloween, but in Mt. Pleasant, some children might not get any treats when they go to someone’s front door.

“For a number of years, there’s been complaints growing that there’s seven or eight children that live in one area, and there was 300 that came for candy,” Mayor Jerry Lucia said.

Mt. Pleasant Borough officials say the community was being overrun by candy carpetbaggers from surrounding communities — communities that have their own trick-or-treat days.

“In the past, we’ve had people coming in in van-loads,” Lucia said.

“We had some people come in on quads with trailers hauling kids from outside of the community,” Mt. Pleasant Borough Police Chief Doug Sam said.

More kids means more candy, and more candy means more cost for residents, many of whom are on fixed income.

Enter the special bags.

Officials are asking children of Mt. Pleasant Borough or Township to use free trick-or-treat bags, available at the Borough police station, to show residents the trick-or-treater is one of their own.

“All we ask is for identification you’re a Mt. Pleasant Borough resident,” Lucia said.

Officials want to make it clear, though…

“It’s up to the resident [themself],” Lucia said. “If they see the person doesn’t have a bag and they weren’t registered, then they can use their discretion.”

The bags are available at the Mt. Pleasant Borough Police Department. They will be available at the Borough’s Fire Department on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22.