Safety A Concern As Tulsans Play 'Pokemon Go'

A new smartphone game has people going to all kinds of places they might not normally go, and that has police in several cities, including Tulsa, issuing warnings about safety.

The makers of the game posted a warning to be alert at all times and beware of their surroundings.

That's because the game takes people into areas of their town that might not be safe, and people are so focused on their phones, they're not paying attention to anything around them.

Pokemon Go is a new app played on your smartphone, and people are playing it by the thousands. The goal is to capture imaginary Pokemon, which gets you points.

It uses your phone's GPS, so wherever you are the screen will show you Pokemon close to you.

You go to that location in person and your screen shows that area on your phone and the location of the Pokemon. You hit a few buttons and you've captured it, then, go find the next one.

But, police say people are doing it while they're driving, which is dangerous. They're doing it while they're walking across the street and not paying attention to traffic, and they're going to places they might never otherwise go.

In another state, some teenagers lured players to a location and robbed them.

Tulsa police are getting calls about suspicious people, but it turns out to be people out playing the game at all hours and in all kinds of locations.

Some players said the good part of the game is it gets you off your couch and out walking around, and, they are learning about their neighborhoods, seeing parts of their city they've never seen before.

Police say go with kids if they are playing, always look around for potential danger and don't be posting where you are headed next.