High Tech Halloween Safety for Your Children

Halloween is just a few days away. That means your little ghosts and goblins will be out trying to get as much candy as they can.

It's difficult to keep track of the trick or treaters when they're all dressed up and it's dark outside or if they're at that age when they walk from door to door alone, how do you know they're safe?

I asked what parents are doing on facebook today. Mom, Nancy Shenise Maynard wrote in that she may sound old fashioned, but she had her children hold her hand until they were nine. After that, they had to walk immediately in front of her. If they strayed, the hand-holding rule was re-instated. She says she also let her children watch the news about children being abducted and then discuss the situation with them.

Mom, Stacy Jennings says she used a leash when her children were young.

As I found out some parents are going more high-tech in this tech savvy world.

Dad, Greg Martin’s cell phone alerts him of a new text message. It’s not from a friend or from his wife. It’s an alert that his 15-year old daughter, Whitney, is on her way home from school.

"It's a 40 minute drive and so along the way back and forth, I can check on her, not necessarily saying she's doing something she's not supposed to do, but I've got it there just in case something happens,” explains Martin.

Martin learned about the Chaperone by Verizon Wireless when he switched cell phone carriers.

Most phones have a GPS tracking device that help police track people, but with this feature, Martin receives text messages every time his daughter goes in to or out of a zone he's set up.

"I've got one set up for home. I've got one set up at her school and at her boyfriend's house,” he laughs.

All laughing aside, knowing where your children are is important, especially with recent headlines of missing and murdered children.

"On the news, with the couple of kids that have come up disappeared, it's a neat tool to have just in case, but I hope I never have to use it for that,” says Martin.

Dad can track Whitney down to an address either on the computer or from his cell phone, which he says will be more helpful to police if the unthinkable happens.

“If something happens, if she was in, happens to be in an accident or something and can't talk, I'll be able to find out exactly where she's at and get directions to where she's at,” Martin explains.

So, what does martin's teen think about being tracked?

"She knows it's on there and it doesn't bother her because she says I know I'm not going anywhere I'm not supposed to,” Martin adds.

The Chaperone is priced at $9.99 per month and it’s something Martin says is well worth the money.

The GPS tracking device does not work if the phone is off or if someone is on the phone being tracked, but as you'll see on news 3 at 11, the feature can cut down on those "lies" some of us told when we young.