Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Halloween is usually a busy night for everyone, young and old, but safety should be a top priority. Thousands of costumed children will take to Mt. Juliet streets looking for treats, and parents should make sure their little ones are safe by following simple safety precautions. The night is usually busier for Mt. Juliet Police officers due to the increased activity in the community, and the department is making a safety a top priority by increasing patrol staff levels for the evening. Officers on patrol will be equipped with glow bracelets and glow sticks for children to promote their visibility as pedestrians. Also, glow bracelets can be obtained for free at police headquarters, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., until Halloween.
Trick-or-treating will be observed in Mt. Juliet on Wednesday, October 31, 2018. The Mt. Juliet Police Department recommends trick-or-treating to start at 5:00 p.m. and to stop by 9:00 p.m.
Through the afternoon and night, patrol staff levels and presence in neighborhoods will be increased. However, police need the help of residents so Mt. Juliet’s streets can be as safe as possible. Any unsafe mischief or driving behavior should be reported to the police department immediately so it can be stopped. Also, police will be monitoring parking on city streets. Visitors and residents should be mindful of where they park, so the roadway is not blocked.
Children are twice more likely to be in a fatal pedestrian accident on Halloween than any other day of the year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Parents should make sure their child’s costume is visible at night to motorists. There are several reasons why children are more likely to be hurt in pedestrian accidents, which include:
- They often choose to take the shortest route, which may mean darting out between parked cars then take the safer route of crossing at corners.
- They’re poor at evaluating potential traffic threats.
- They’re more likely to disregard their peripheral vision and are less attentive of their street surroundings.
- They have a tendency to believe they’re indestructible and are more likely to take risks.
- They need to be told that some people driving cars will not slow down for them.
- They can’t cross streets as rapidly as adults.
- They may be distracted by other children’s costumes, behaviors, and home decorations.
In addition, to Mt. Juliet Police Department’s proactive patrols in the neighborhoods, officers will also be out monitoring sex offenders on Halloween. Under Tennessee law, any sex offender on parole or probation may not take part in any Halloween activity involving children. This would include leaving a porch light on, answering the door, or distributing candy. Parents may use the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s website at http://www.tbi.tn.gov/ .
From everyone at Mt. Juliet Police, we wish you a safe Halloween. The department can be contacted at (615) 754-2550 (non-emergency) or 911 (emergency) to report any problems, observations, or safety concerns.
A list of Halloween Health and Safety Tips can be viewed here: http://www.safekids.org/halloween .
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