The philosophy is simple: Decorate cars, bring them together in the parking lot of police headquarters on North Clinton Avenue, fill the trunks with goodies and let the gaily costumed youngsters parade from car to car, filling their bags.
Trenton's Trunk or Treat, the police department's Halloween gift to the city's children and their parents, turns two this year, building on a highly successful kick-off last year.
It's a holiday hat trick, managing not only to build community spirit and to unite businesses, social service agencies, city offices and residents, but also to do it all while keeping our children safe.
And did we mention it's free? And just plain fun?
The philosophy is simple: Decorate cars, bring them together in the parking lot of police headquarters on North Clinton Avenue, fill the trunks with goodies and let the gaily costumed youngsters parade from car to car, filling their bags.
It's not a new concept; many neighborhoods around the country have informally organized these events as a safer alternative for a decade or more.
They're popular at schools and churches, as well as in rural areas where houses are few and far between, and the traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating becomes more a trudge than a treat.
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But having the event take place at a police department takes it to a whole new level, with the added bonus of encouraging children to interact with police officers on a friendly basis, rather than as foes.
Thursday's event was planned as a full-out experience, including music, prizes and family games. Mom and Pop were invited to get as creative as possible, turning Nissans and Fords into dragons' lairs and haunted mansions.
To better ensure safety, rules required that all vehicles be registered beforehand, and that at least one adult stay with each car for the duration.
Detective Alexis Durlacher of the Trenton Police Department said Wednesday that about 40 organizations and individual citizens had registered cars by midweek, including firefighters and animal-control officers.
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We're not sure Trunk or Treat will ever replace the solidly entrenched - and beloved - door-to-door solicitation that became the hallmark of Halloween nearly a century ago.
It's tough to beat the thrill of walking (with friends or parents) through fall-darkened streets, carrying a plastic pumpkin or a pillow case and receiving candy bars just for the asking.
But we like that the police here have added their own dimension to All Hallow's Eve and the days leading up to it, and we're delighted that their Trunk and Treat seems to be catching on in a big way.
Don't fret, parents. The sugar rush will wear off in a few days.