COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Halloween is, of course, meant to be filled with candy and costumes, but it can also be a dangerous time.
In Columbus, local law enforcement is preparing to patrol the city in hopes of decreasing crime on the holiday and keeping everyone safe.
According to a press release from the Columbus Consolidated Government, trick-or-treating hours are recommended between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Children should stick to well-lit areas, and if that’s not possible, carry a flashlight or some sort of glow stick.
“The sheriff’s office is definitely going to be focusing in during the Halloween holiday, more so in the residential areas,” said Cpt. John Thomas with the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office.
Thomas also mentioned that their deputies will be on standby if needed. They advise parents to only let their children trick-or-treat in neighborhoods they’re familiar with. As an added precaution, parents and guardians should check to make sure their kids are not knocking on the doors of registered sex offenders. That information is available through a link on the sheriff department’s website.
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“They can put in their address or any address they plan on going to,” Thomas said. “Put it in some parameters where they can see a radius around that address and how many sex offenders may be registered at addresses in that area.”
Two Columbus residents say their children will be doing trunk-or-treating instead of going door-to-door. They believe it’s a much safer option.
“It’s too dangerous, you have kids holding guns, you have kids shooting guns for no reason at all,” said Glenda Jordan. “They are just driving by and shooting people, it just doesn’t make any sense. You got too many churches giving away candy for trunk-or-treat. Take those to those places, they are everywhere.”
“I do think trunk-or-treat is a little bit safer than door-to-door because there is a lot going on out here and I just don’t want to be a part of it or end up knocking on the wrong door and something happens,” said Melissa Brown.
Thomas says parents should not leave their children unsupervised during Halloween. He also says they should check the candy their children receive before letting them eat it.
“They want to inspect their children’s candy or make sure all the packages are sealed properly, especially be aware of anything that may be a homemade type of item they receive; they definitely want to check that,” he added.
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