By Janice Morse
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Third-grader Katelyn Napier, 8, cleans out the inside of a pumpkin that was used in a project in the class of teacher Jennie Strisler on Thursday at Mulberry Elementary School in Milford. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

This Halloween's theme: unmask a frightfully good time - but keep a cautious eye open.

With the shadows of 9-11 two years in the past, many Greater Cincinnati communities that had canceled or curtailed trick-or-treating are gearing up this year for full-tilt fun: "beggars' nights" for children and parties for adults.

Still, Margaret Murphy, 43, who scooped up seven bags of candy Thursday at the West Chester Township Kroger store, said she senses apprehension among some neighbors and friends.

"I think more people are going to church parties or block parties rather than just trick-or-treating," she said. "I don't know whether it's because of 9-11, or the whole safety thing, where they want to know the candy comes from a nice, safe place."

When she was a child, Murphy dumped out her trick-or-treat loot so her parents could inspect it for signs of tampering - a ritual that remains prominent among police-issued safety tips.

Meanwhile, throughout Greater Cincinnati, more officers promise to be on the lookout for criminally ghoulish behavior - and motorists who swill too much witches' brew. A sampling:

• Newport: Extra officers have been scheduled today and Saturday - because Halloween falls on a Friday this year, and revelers probably have planned a weekend full of festivities that could include alcohol, police say.

• Colerain Township: The Citizens' Police Academy, wearing reflective orange vests and equipped with cell phones and police radios, will patrol on foot in several neighborhoods from 5:30 to 8:30 tonight, serving as "additional eyes and ears" for police.

• Cincinnati: Extra patrols will hit the streets, "with a zero-tolerance mandate for any unsafe or impaired driving," police say. Also, between 6 and 8 tonight, children and their parents may visit police district offices for the annual "Meet-and-Treat" program. Associate police captains have provided goodies for the kids.

• West Chester Township: The Butler County DUI Task Force will conduct a checkpoint on Tylersville Road near Interstate 75, for alcohol-impaired motorists. Police also urge other motorists to call 911 and report erratic driving.

E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com