Geraldton children disappointed this Halloween after decorations stolen, but good trick-or-treat turnout

While trick-or-treating around Geraldton was enjoyed many, others wanted to ruin the Halloween fun, after some residents found their decorations stolen from their properties.

It’s not about the money, but more about the children’s disappointment when they discover their favourite decoration has vanished.

Field engineer Brett Money was away on his two-week shift when he was contacted by his daughter, upset because a newly carved pumpkin was stolen from their front porch in Wandina.

Mr Money said before he went away, he purchased a large pumpkin for his daughter to carve with her grandfather, up from Scotland.

“They can take the pumpkin if they need it, what bothers me is my daughter was upset while I was away,” he said.

“It’s her first time carving the pumpkin and it meant a little bit to her. She went out trick-or-treating with her grandfather and when she got home, the pumpkin was gone.”

Mr Money said his seven-year-old daughter had helped carve the pumpkin the night before and was devastated to find it had gone missing the night before Halloween.

“It’s the sentimental value, to have it taken and not being able to comfort your daughter because of someone’s careless actions,” he said.

“It wasn’t about the cost, it was about the joy on my daughter’s face. As a parent you just enjoy seeing their enjoyment.”

New to town, Emily Wilke and her family moved to Geraldton in February. She said celebrating Halloween every year, she’d never had decorations stolen before until a makeshift homemade mannequin was taken from outside their Wandina home.

“We set up the same every year . . . we were home with our kids and we had about 100 trick-or-treaters rock up to our house, it was amazing. Between 6-8pm someone has come and nicked it out the front,” she said.

“My husband went for a walk and found some of the clothing used inside the decoration. It’s disappointing, especially because the stuffing was found in the park. It’s my daughters favourite character, too.”

Mrs Wilke said because there was such a fantastic turnout, next year she would move it into the garage and monitor it during the whole event.

“We’re going to do it bigger next year because of how many people we got,” she said.

“It hasn’t deterred me, but we’re sick and tired our youth is going around doing this stuff, it doesn’t feel safe anymore.”