Basic precautions can help keep trick-or-treaters safe

While children scare each other with tales of ghosts and goblins, parents can prevent real-life Halloween horror stories by taking a few common-sense precautions to protect their little ones.

Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said supervising children and paying attention to their surroundings can go a long way toward keeping trick-or-treaters safe.

Hickey said there is no magic age at which children can trick-or-treat safely without adult supervision.

"Only parents or guardians know the responsibility that their children have," he said. " ... We encourage adults and parents and guardians to go with them at all times."

Wearing light-colored clothing, carrying a flashlight and keeping an eye on traffic can help prevent accidents, Hickey said.

He also recommends staying in well-lit areas, sticking to familiar neighborhoods and staying out of strangers' homes.

"Don't ever go into a home unless you know who they are. Don't try to approach a home that's not lit up. ... It could be a dangerous situation," Hickey said.

Parents also should be aware of their city's curfew, if one exists, Hickey said.

Cape Girardeau's curfew for children younger than 17 is 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends, he said.

That is similar to other towns in the area: Scott City and Perryville, Mo., have an 11 p.m. curfew for minors, with Perryville's curfew stretching to 12:30 a.m. on weekends.

In Marble Hill, Mo., door-to-door trick-or-treating ends at 9:30 p.m.

Jackson has no formal curfew, but Jackson Police Capt. Rodney Barnes said children should limit trick-or-treating to "normal hours" and avoid unlit houses.

Some houses may have their lights off for legal reasons.

Under Missouri state law, anyone required to register as a sex offender must take specific steps to avoid "Halloween-related contact with children," including staying inside between 5 and 10:30 p.m. Oct. 31; turning off outdoor residential lighting after 5 p.m. on Halloween; and posting a sign that states, "No candy or treats at this residence."

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol both offer searchable online databases that list the names and addresses of registered sex offenders.

An interactive map on the sheriff's department website shows the locations of nearly 200 offenders in Cape Girardeau County.

Parents may want to look at a weather map before sending children out this year.

Robin Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., said Halloween is likely to be soggy, with a "near 100 percent chance" of showers and thunderstorms Thursday.

If a cold front moving into the area speeds up, the rain could end before trick-or-treaters go out, but if it slows or continues at its current pace, Thursday evening could be stormy, Smith said.

Forecasters expect highs in the upper 60s to 70 on Thursday, with overnight lows in the upper 40s and wind gusts of 20 to 25 miles per hour, he said.

"All in all, it's going to be a crappy Halloween for the kids," Smith said. " ... They're going to have to be prepared for wind and rain."

Inclement weather can create road hazards, said Hickey, who advised drivers to take their time and watch out for children Thursday evening.

"Obviously, slow down. The time that it takes [to stop] on wet pavement -- it dramatically increases," he said.

Pedestrians may be less alert during cold, rainy weather, Hickey said.

"They tend to jog to where they're going," he said. " ... You know, you want to duck your head and run in. Keep that head up, and be conscious of your surroundings."

epriddy@semissourian.com

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How to keep children safe for Halloween

Police offer the following Halloween safety tips:

* Supervise young trick-or-treaters.

* Stay in familiar neighborhoods.

* Avoid poorly lit areas.

* Pay attention to your surroundings.

* Carry a flashlight.

* Wear light-colored clothing to increase visibility.

* Watch for traffic.

* Trust your instincts -- if something seems wrong, it probably is.

* Drive slowly.

* Watch for pedestrians -- especially children, who may dart into the street without looking.

Source: Darin Hickey, Cape Girardeau Police Department

Other resources

Parents concerned about predators in their neighborhoods can consult state or county law enforcement websites to find a list of registered sex offenders.

* The Missouri State Highway Patrol maintains a searchable database at www.mshp.dps.mo.gov/CJ38/searchRegistry.jsp. Users can enter an address and select a distance ranging from 500 feet to 15 miles to find all the sex offenders living in that area.

* The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department has an interactive map online at capecountysheriff.org/sex_offenders.php. Users can zoom in on a particular area to find markers showing the locations of registered sex offenders. To learn more about an individual offender, click on the marker.

* For local weather information, visit semissourian.com/weather/