Neighborhoods prepare for Halloween, law enforcements shares safety tips

GUYTON, Ga. (WTOC) - It’s finally the spookiest day of the year: Halloween!

Neighborhoods across our viewing area are preparing to greet trick-or-treaters with frightening sights and lots of candy, including the Penny Lane neighborhood in Effingham County.

William McDonald and his family are inviting the community to swing by Guyton, check out the spooky decorations and secure a bag of candy.

McDonald sets up most of the Halloween decorations throughout the neighborhood himself. At his house, he even has singing pumpkin lights.

While the family usually goes all out for Christmas, a few years ago, they decided to create a haunted neighborhood perfect for the whole family.

McDonald says Halloween is one of his favorite holidays of the year. His goal is to bring back fun and safe trick-or-treating.

“We want to reassure the parents that they can come in here and feel safe about it and stuff. And not only that, we have additional parking behind my neighbor’s house and my house which will be lit up, so people can actually get out of their cars and walk the neighborhood,” said McDonald.

WTOC also spoke with local law enforcement to find out more ways to keep your kids safe this Halloween.

According to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Penny Lane is a great example of the types of houses and neighborhoods that are safe to stop by. Officials say if the porch lights aren’t on, don’t try trick-or-treating there.

Deputies are planning to patrol throughout the night, making sure the community is safe. They are going to be watching for reckless and drunk drivers. Officials say slow down, pay attention and ask for a ride home if you’ve been drinking.

Public Information Officer Brian Bailey shares more tips for your kids’ safety.

“That trick-or-treat hour will be from 6 to 9 p.m. here in Effingham County. And so, it’ll be dark or getting dark by that point in time, so we want to make sure that they have any type of reflective material on so that they can be seen,” said Bailey. “And you know, making sure the parents are right there with them.”

Alongside the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, other agencies—like Chatham and Screven—require registered sex offenders report to the jails in their counties during trick-or-treating hours.

The initiative is designed to give parents peace of mind while taking their kids door-to-door this spooky season.

If you‘re headed out Friday for trick-or-treating, be sure to bundle up and prepare for a thrilling good time, especially if you’re coming out to Penny Lane.