Longmont Police Explorers are getting ready for a haunted carnival

The Longmont Training Range is getting a little spooky this Halloween. Longmont Public Safety and the Longmont Police Explorers are hosting a Haunted Carnival fundraiser October 30 and 31.

The family-friendly carnival will feature games, a haunted house and a Nerf zombie target range. The Explorers will be on hand to run the games and meet the community.

“We’re trying to make the carnival for younger kids, to get the whole family out,” said Officer Melinda Burnett. “With COVID there hasn’t been a lot to bring your kids out to do.”

According to Burnett, the goal is to make the event as kid-friendly as possible. The haunted house will have the option of lights on or off for the younger kids, to keep the spookiness safe and accessible.

The Longmont Fire Department will also bring the Fire Safety House — a mobile mini-home with interactive elements — to teach fire safety protocols to children of all ages.

Tickets are $5 for people aged 15 and older, while the carnival games cost $1 per play. Prizes for the carnival games include candy and small toys. The haunted house and Nerf zombie shoot are free for the kids to go through as many times as they’d like, Burnett said.

“It’s a fundraiser, but at the same time we know some people have been out of work,” Burnett said. “Bring the kids out and it won’t cost a lot for them to have a couple hours of fun.”

Longmont Police Explorers is a volunteer program for youth aged 14 to 20, geared toward police work but with opportunities to learn about emergency response, forensic science and more. According to Burnett, the Explorers learn police report writing, interview techniques and other law enforcement skills — door breaching, building clearing and defensive tactics. 

Explorers meet twice a month and are required to volunteer for four hours a month, with opportunities that range from filing in Public Safety, working with Crime Stoppers and traffic management for Longmont events. 

“We’re trying to teach them to be good citizens, to volunteer and give back to their community,” Burnett said. “Police work really is a lot of community relations.”

The Haunted Carnival will be held October 30-31 from 12-6 p.m. each day. The Longmont Training Range is located at 10916 County Road 5, just east of CO 119.