Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office Reminds Public on How to be Safe This Halloween

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- These next upcoming few days, be prepared for increased pedestrian traffic in the form of teens, tots, and toddlers. 

The sheriff’s office is expecting the trick-or-treaters to be out-and-about Thursday and/or Sunday in the city, townships, and villages across Muskingum area, especially in the residential areas in the evening and dusk hours. 

“It’s just a good reminder for our public to if you’re out driving around being a little bit more careful, give yourself a little more time, we’re going to have a lot of young kids walking around on the streets. You know, it’s not very hard at all for them to dart away from mom or dad and dart out into a street,” Matt Lutz, Muskingum County Sheriff stated.

Halloween isn’t just a time for motorists to be cautious but pedestrians as well. While being aware of cars on the road is a must, another level of safety should be taken into consideration when trick-or-treaters wander into the county’s neighborhoods.

“So when we teach about stranger danger to children, it’s a good thing to be talking to your kids before they go out. Especially if we’re talking about kids that are old enough to go by themselves maybe, but not quite old enough to be adults to know what decision to be making. You know, be careful of who they’re talking to. Be careful if somebody comes up to them and tries to get them to go somewhere to get candy. Most people that trick-or-treat will leave their porch lights on,” Lutz said.

The sheriff’s office says that you should plan your Halloween route out in advance and be aware of the county’s 139 sex offenders. A database of all registered sex offenders can be viewed at the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office website.