Police Offer Safety Warnings for Local 'Pokemon Go' Players

Woodstock police say they have no problem with locals getting into the adventurous, "catch 'em all" spirit of the new smartphone-based game Pokemon Go -- but they want to caution players about how to do so safely

The department offered the following safety tips in a post on their Facebook page today:

1. Watch out for your surroundings: look up and be aware of who is around you besides Pokémon.

2. Parents, limit places kids can go: Set boundaries to avoid "stranger danger" for unattended kids.

3. Don’t Pokémon Go and drive: Catching Pikachu isn’t worth crashing.

4. Tell people where you’re going: Especially if it is somewhere you’ve never been.

5. Don’t trespass: People might call the police if you enter private property, and your Pokémon can’t help you.

6. If you are stopped by police: Show them you are playing a game.

Other police departments in Georgia also shared a rather disturbing news article from Missouri on Wednesday, about how a group of teens lured victims through a "beacon" near an advertised Poke-Stop and robbed them at gunpoint.

WBTV reports that when players showed up to try to catch characters, the teens were allegedly hiding in their car with a gun, and robbed the individuals.

Police told WBTV they arrested the three suspects, who had a stolen wallet and phone on them. The two 17-year-olds and one 18-year-old have been charged with armed robbery.