Honolulu police are beefing up security in Waikiki for Halloween night, a welcome move for residents and tourists heading into a packed night of partying.

• Extra officers are hitting the streets, with about 20 pulled from a larger pool of roughly 100 reassigned citywide specifically for Waikiki.
• Officers will patrol on foot early in the night and shift to traffic enforcement later as crowds grow.
• Police are closing the main beach and park at sunset to keep people off the sand and water after dark.
• The concern is less about weather and more about anonymity: masks and costumes make it harder to spot trouble, so officers are urging people to stay in groups and in well-lit areas.
• Halloween falling on a Saturday this year means bigger-than-usual crowds are expected.

Outlook: Expect a heavy police presence and beach closures to continue each Halloween that falls on a weekend, as this is now a standard precaution for Waikiki's crowds.