With young trick-or-treaters taking to the street Wednesday, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is offering some basic safety reminders to help make sure everyone stays safe. 

Before heading out with the kids, parents are encouraged to:

1. Make sure costumes are the appropriate length to avoid trips and falls.
2. Use fire resistant costumes that are light in color and / or have reflective material.
3. Make sure someone in the group has a flashlight and charged cell phone.
4. Instead of using a mask, which can obstruct a child’s vision, consider using makeup.
5. Instruct your children to stay on sidewalks (where available) or on the shoulder of the roadway facing traffic. 
6. Remind your kids to watch for traffic when preparing to cross the road. Not all motorists may be watching for them.
7. As an alternative of going door to door, parents should consider taking their children to community sponsored events such as those hosted by community centers, churches, schools, etc.
8. Children (and adults) should only consume unopened candy and treats in original wrappers. Treats with open packaging or torn wrappers should be discarded. Don’t forget to inspect fruit and homemade treats for anything that looks suspicious.
9. Children should only trick-or-treat at the homes of trusted family and friends who have outside lights on. They should NEVER go into a home or car to collect treats.

Finally, Sheriff David Groves encourages parents and grandparents to know where registered offenders are located in the communities they intend to allow their children to trick-or-treat in. Information on publicly posted registered sex, drug and violent offenders can be located at www.cherokeecountykssheriff.com.