A haunted hayride devolved into a melee, then kids ransacked a local Wawa. Collingswood officials are bracing for what comes next.

A crowd of more than 200 kids threw a haunted hayride in Collingswood into chaos last week, and scores of young people ransacked a local Wawa as dozens more brawled outside.

Now, the town and nearby communities are on alert as they seek to prevent a repeat as Mischief Night and Halloween revelry looms.

Shortly before 8:30 p.m. Oct. 19, police said, more than 200 juveniles arrived at a Haunted Hayride, sponsored by the Collingswood PTA and held in Knight Park. Multiple fights soon broke out, and police called in aid from neighboring towns to help disperse the crowd and keep families safe.

Police shut down the hayride, but just as the situation at the park was getting under control, authorities said, dozens of juveniles descended on the Wawa on Haddon Avenue and started stealing items from the shelves.

Then, fresh fights broke out at the park. As officers tried to quell the crowd, police said, teens were punching and kicking to try to get away, and some ran from the park and into nearby yards.

No injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made. Collingswood Mayor Jim Maley said future arrests were possible, including possible shoplifting charges stemming from the thievery at the Wawa.

Police continue to investigate the incidents, which left many in the town shaken and parents and public officials concerned.

The chaotic night drew a heated response on social media, with many people calling for harsher penalties for the kids involved.

“No arrests? That’s crazy,” one person posted on the Collingswood police Facebook page. “They know they can get away with it. It will happen again.”

Others praised the police departments from adjoining towns that quickly put a stop to the mayhem.

With Mischief Night and Halloween just days away, Maley said, Collingswood officials are wary — if not overly worried.

“Both nights, all the towns are on a little extra alert,” said Maley, who has been the mayor for more than 30 years. “We’ll be on the watch for it, but the past incidents don’t happen at events as spread out as Halloween is. But we’re going to be on the lookout.”

In neighboring Haddon Township, Police Chief Tim Hak said the department is monitoring social media ahead of the holiday and working with local and county law enforcement partners to ensure that the town is prepared if the brawls and fights repeat and spill over into the town. .

The department, he said, is concerned but prepared.

“We’re doing what we can on the law enforcement end to provide for a safe event,” Hak said of Halloween. “I think if something were to occur here that we are prepared to address that matter. I would ask them for support in notifying us if they were to see or hear anything suspicious.”

Similar incidents involving large crowds of young people have occurred in Gloucester Township and Pennsauken, said Hak, and the police department has plans in place to respond if needed. Haddon Township, he said, has not experienced such problems.

“We have a lot of events in Haddon Township,” said Hak. “We are kind of used to creating our incident action plans that are thorough enough to handle as many of the foreseeable issues that may arise.”

Collingswood police said preparations had been put in place for public events in recent months and that the town has largely avoided problems. Going forward, borough and police officials said they would be looking at procedures to avoid what the police department called a “riotous trend.”

But Halloween events and other celebrations, Maley said, will go on.

“This is not the norm,” he said. “Collingswood events are going to continue to go on. This will not stop events, we will keep moving forward.”