A Halloween tradition in Chapel Hill may take on a new form this year.

Town leaders are looking to tweak plans for the annual Franklin Street Halloween celebration in hopes of a more peaceful event. A proposal crafted by the Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran and given to Town Manager Roger Stancil offers suggestions to scale back in the name of safety.

In the proposal, Curran states binge drinking prior to the Franklin Street event is causing violent and criminal behavior in the crowds. He says his staff has also observed street gang members in the crowd over the past several years.

Chief Curran wants to establish a multi-year plan to reduce the size of the event.

The following recommendations are included in the proposal:

-- Conduct an aggressive public information campaign ahead of the event highlighting our concerns and describing what we would like the event to become instead of the current media reporting that encourages travel to Chapel Hill for Halloween.
-- Work with the Mayor's Office, downtown restaurants and bars, the Downtown Partnership and the Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency to consider limiting alcoholic beverage sales at all establishments that have permits to sell alcohol, either on or off premise, in Town Center Zones - TC-1, TC-2 and TC-3 for a part of Halloween night.
-- Discontinue the use of Chapel Hill Transit shuttle service from the Park and Ride lots to the Central Business District.
-- Place parking monitors in surrounding residential neighborhoods to discourage illegal parking and disruption of neighborhoods.
-- Alter the traffic management plan to reduce ingress and encourage egress from the Central Business District.
-- Utilize the UNC emergency contact system, and as is feasible public address systems in the downtown area to help guide or direct the crowds during an emergency or when the event is ending.
-- Continue discussions with UNC-Chapel Hill administration staff and especially with UNC-Chapel Hill student leaders to determine additional steps that can be taken to meet our goals of a smaller, local, safe event.