'Track-N-Treat' app gives parents Halloween peace

Crime, Safety Expert says parents shouldn't rely on technology

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There's a new way for parents to keep track of their trick-or-treaters this Halloween. It's called the "Track-N-Treat" app and it's giving parents a real-time view of where their kids will be collecting goodies.

The "Track-N-Treat" app sends parents alerts if their kids venture outside of their designated trick-or-treating area. According to Glimpse, the Seattle based company that developed the app, more than 10 million people have downloaded it as a helpful tool to keep track of their kids this Halloween. 

With the app, children and their parents set a time limited link of their location with either their phone number or email. That link allows parents to track their children for up to four hours. 

It's a technology Channel 4's Crime and Safety Expert Ken Jefferson calls a supplemental tool, but not one parents should completely rely on.

"It's going to give a path of where their children are during Halloween night," said Jefferson. "But you know what it cannot replace -- a human. It cannot replace the good old fashioned mom and dad or mom or dad being out there with the children, simply because you're extra eyes and extra ears. You're watching over them, taking care of them. The app simply cannot do that."

While Jefferson agrees that the app can give parents some added peace of mind this Halloween season, it does have faults.

"When you have various people putting items into their bags, you can kind of monitor what's being placed in their bag because you can check it after each house that you go to," Jefferson said. "Make sure that there's nothing contaminated in there or something that can harm the children. This app simply cannot do that. People are relying on electronics to raise their children, that's why it gets a ‘D'."