Local authorities step up enforcement for Halloween

Jefferson City police and the Cole County Sheriff’s Office are stepping up patrols Monday night to keep trick-or-treaters safe.

Halloween is consistently one of the top three days for pedestrian injuries and deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

And the CDC estimates children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year.

“Some of these kids and some of the adults aren’t thinking too clearly and they, they’re going to dodge in between cars,” Capt. John Wheeler with the Cole County Sheriff’s Office said. “So it’s just really important for the drivers to be vigilant and just keep their head on a swivel.”

Halloween night, extra Jefferson City Police officers will be on duty patrolling neighborhoods and looking for hazardous driving.

The Cole County Sheriff’s Office will have 10 extra deputies working in addition to the patrol unit.

“They’ll be out doing Halloween sex offender checks as well as driving through the neighborhoods and making sure everyone’s behaving themselves,” Wheeler said.

Parents can help keep their trick-or-treaters safe by dressing children in reflective clothing, carrying a light source and escorting them if possible, according to JCPD.

“And as far as costumes go, you don’t want anything that will obscure the view of the child,” Wheeler said. “You want to make sure that the kid is paying attention to his surroundings.”

Two Callaway County deputies will also work overtime this Halloween to check up on 41 sex offenders.

Cole County deputies will check 34 addresses.