Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Halloween is always a busy evening in Mt. Juliet, and safety will be a top priority as officers deploy to neighborhoods. Many officers will be out serving on Monday, October 31, 2022, with the goal of ensuring neighborhoods are safe while trick-or-treaters are out and about. This effort is quite the tradition for the department, where patrol staffing is tripled, so neighborhoods have a visible police presence to ensure all have a safe, enjoyable time. Everyone should be prepared and mindful of children’s safety by following simple safety precautions. The most significant risk to a child on Halloween is being struck by a vehicle. Therefore, to raise awareness, officers on patrol will hand out reflective bands and LED glow sticks to children.
Mt. Juliet’s residents are also a huge part of what keeps Mt. Juliet’s streets 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.
Safe Kids Worldwide says children are twice as likely to be in a fatal pedestrian accident on Halloween than on any other day. Therefore, parents should ensure 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 than taking 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 to their street surroundings.
- They tend 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.
Also, officers will be out monitoring sex offenders. Under Tennessee law, any sex offender on parole or probation may not participate in any Halloween activity involving children. This activity 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. Mt. Juliet Police Headquarters, located at 1019 Charlie Daniels Parkway, will also be open for trick-or-treating on Halloween from 5:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m. 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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