News & Events

Schenectady, NY– Oct. 21, 2024 – For the second straight year, Schenectady residents can follow the Scare-nectady Haunted Patrol in real-time thanks to routing and logistics software developer Transfinder.

Schenectady Police and Fire Departments’ annual Scare-nectady Haunted Patrol went high tech last year by engaging with Transfinder’s routing, GPS and mapping expertise to digitally map out the candy path so residents could follow the patrol in real-time on scare-nectady.com.

At the various stops throughout the city, children will receive candy, coloring books and high visibility bags with safety tips that can be used for trick-or-treating on Halloween. Police and fire officials are asking adults to accompany children to the stops.

Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella dubbed the sweet solution “Treatfinder” and is excited to make it available again for children in neighborhoods throughout the community.

“Our primary solutions are focused on children and the critical objective of safely transporting students to school and back home each day,” he said. “But Treatfinder meets another need: Helping bring joy – and candy – to children this special time of year. The police and fire departments do a great job showing kids in our community how much we care about them. Transfinder is honored to be a part of that effort.”

Mayor Gary McCarthy said everyone loves a parade and the Halloween-themed police cars and fire trucks will bring smiles to the entire community.

“Our police and fire departments and first responders often deal with serious issues our community faces. This is a great opportunity for them to see the children’s smiling faces during this joyous time,” the mayor said. “It’s rewarding to see different members of our community come together for the sake of our children.”

Police Chief Eric Clifford said the Haunted Patrol, now in its fifth year, just keeps getting better.

“As we continue to work to improve our patrols with Transfinder’s Patrolfinder, I think Treatfinder takes our patrols to a whole new level,” Chief Clifford said. “The Haunted Patrol gives children a chance to connect with our officers and have fun in a safe environment. Everybody wins.”

Fire Chief Don Mareno said kids love seeing his fire engines flashing lights as much as his department loves seeing the children’s wide eyes and happy faces. It’s also an opportunity to share safety tips with children so they are safe if they go out “trick or treating.”

“It’s fun to see the children so excited, and to be honest, it’s awesome to be a part of the community, ,” Chief Mareno said. “Although it is great to give out a bunch of candy, this event is a great opportunity to share with the community important lifesaving fire safety information that will keep them safe.”

Here are the places the Haunted Patrol will be stopping on Oct. 24: 

• Fairview Park, Bellevue (5pm) 
• Hamilton School, Mont Pleasant (5:30pm) 
• Jerry Burrell Park (6pm) 
• Steinmetz Homes (6:30pm) 
• Woodlawn Elementary School (7pm) 
• Howe Elementary School (7:30) 
• Steinmetz Park (8pm) 

About Transfinder
Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Schenectady, New York, Transfinder is a national leader in intelligent transportation systems, providing transportation management systems and services to municipalities, school districts, police departments and adult care facilities. Transfinder is one of the fastest-growing companies in New York’s Capital Region, according to the Albany Business Review. and has made Inc. magazine “fastest-growing company” for 12 years. It has offices in Texas, China and India. The software company, named a Best Place to Work and Top Workplace and Best Company to Work for in New York State, develops and supports routing and scheduling solutions for optimal transportation logistics. It has received numerous awards, including Best Software, Best Hardware and Best Safety Technology by industry leaders and Top Educational App by Education Technology Insights. For more information, visit www.transfinder.com.