Scaredy cops! Homeowner is ordered to take down dead body Halloween decorations by the police because they’re too terrifying
- Fake bodies hanging from a tree for Halloween were forced to be taken down
- Police on Sydney’s northern beaches said the decorations ‘had crossed a line’
- Sparked a divided reaction from Elanora Heights neighbours and locals
- Do you know about these decorations? Email kylie.stevens@mailonline.com
The removal of haunting Halloween decorations deemed too scary has sparked public outrage and divided a community.
Police took down two fake dead bodies hanging from a tree in the front yard of an Elanora Heights home on Sydney’s northern beaches after a call from a concerned member of the public.
Northern Beaches Council confirmed rangers attended after it was also contacted about the decorations.
Police Inspector Maree Kiem told the Manly Daily the decorations were inappropriate and ‘had crossed a line’.
Police ordered these fake corpses put up for Halloween be taken as they were too scary
Some neighbours said they were upset about the fake corpses being taken down.
‘It’s a step too far. It’s the PC brigade,’ one neighbour said.
Another neighbour Carma Birch said she thought the decorations were ‘a bit of fun’.
‘It’s upsetting to think a number of people are overthinking things,’ she said.
Her husband said he hoped police and the council would be just as prompt the next time they’re called about a burnout in the street.
Northern Beaches Police posted a public warning about Halloween celebrations on Thursday.
‘Today it’s about dressing up, door-knocking for treats, and above all having fun,’ he Facebook post states.
‘However, we’re seeing instances on some parts of the Beaches of decorations that have gone that step, or more, too far.
‘Dangle skeletons, spray cobwebs, dress up in costumes.
‘But please don’t put something in your yard that’s going to confront or offend, particularly when it comes to young children. Fun and tastefully scary is the aim of the game.’
The removal of the decorations sparked a divided response from locals.
‘At least some people get in the spirit of Halloween….. Makes up for the 90 per cent of the beaches that don’t acknowledge it at all,’one woman commented on the police Facebook page.
Other locals argued the decorations had been in the yard on Halloween for years while some agreed they were inappropriate.
‘Please also consider not ‘hanging’ skeletons using rope/noose or the like as it can upset and trigger memories for people who may have lost someone this way,’ one woman wrote.
Another added: ‘It took my breath away as I drove past this morning, so what nightmares and memories will it etch into little kid’s minds? Once you see it, you can not ‘unsee’ it. Life is precious – we need to protect it.’
The ‘ínappropriate’ decorations prompted Northern Beaches Police to post a public warning