Authorities Offer Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treaters

Police in the Upper Cumberland are asking residents to stay safe as children and families get set to trick-or-treat for Halloween Wednesday evening.

Sparta Police Chief Jeff Guth reminds both trick-or-treaters and drivers to be mindful of the hazards with increased foot traffic along city streets.

“There will be a lot of people walking from house to house and there will be quite a bit of congestion around events that may be going on during that time,” Guth said. “Whether you have festivals going on at churches… Halloween parties and such, we just ask that people slow down, take your time, and pay attention to your surroundings because these little ones can dart out at a moments’ notice.”

Cookeville Police Captain Bobby Anderson recommends residents not pass out homemade treats and stick with store-bought, packaged treats.

“That just keeps it safe for everyone,” Anderson said. “If you are a parent that’s inspecting candy, we recommend just discarding the homemade treats and just sticking with the store-bought. And if they encounter any suspicious candy or any suspicious activity throughout the evening, we’ll come out, take a look, and investigate what the concern is.”

Anderson said residents who are handing out treats to children for Halloween to make sure their yard is safe for children walking up to their doors.

“If you are going to be participating and if you’re at home handing out candy, we recommend turning your porch light on,” Anderson said. “If it does happen to rain, clear the wet leaves just to prevent any slips and falls. Also, we ask that you restrain your pets for the evening just to keep the home more inviting.”

Livingston Police Chief Greg Etheredge said having reflective costumes or flashlights handy will help make trick-or-treaters more visible to oncoming traffic.

“I think it’s important because they’re out on the sides and they’re walking from house to house,” Etheredge said. “You just have a whole lot of people in neighborhoods and we just want everyone to be safe. The best way to do that is have something that’s reflective or a flashlight so that we avoid accidents.”

Guth said the Sparta area typically sees congestion from various events as well as the occasional prank by trick-or-treaters.

“We do see a little mischief from time to time,” Guth said. “What’s Halloween without a good ‘yard-rolling’ or something like that? We just ask that people use common sense and don’t be destructive with the activities that they do.”

Guth said another thing authorities will be keeping their eyes on this Halloween is potential sex offender violations.

“Officers will be checking on our sex offenders that we have registered with the Sparta Police Department,” Guth said. “Our officers will be checking on their residences to make sure that they are abiding by the law and not have any decorations and be blacked-out that night to where kids won’t be enticed to come by their house to trick-or-treat.”

Guth said residents can search and find out where sex offenders are located in their communities by using the TBI’s Online Sex Offender Locator.