Crime & Safety

County Sheriff Cautions Pokémon GO Players

The sheriff's office said there have been incidents reported of players having close calls with traffic.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is warning players of Pokémon GO, an augmented reality mobile app game based on Nintendo's popular Pokémon franchise, to stay safe and alert.

The game uses your phone's location settings to create a semi-virtual world where the user is surrounded by Pokémon.

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"As much as the Washington County Sheriff's Office loves to have people out in the community getting their exercise and enjoying the outdoors while playing Pokémon GO, we have had several incidents reported of close calls with traffic and other safety hazards of citizens participating in this game," read a post on the Washington County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

"Please be cautious when engaging in this new fad and have a conversation with your children about how to play the game safely. Thank you!"

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One resident, Rebecca Lentz, was particularly grateful for the warning. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" read her Facebook comment.

Photo Credit: Youtube

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