In just a couple of hours thousands of children will be hitting the streets hoping to bag some serious Halloween loot. In Wisconsin trick-or-treat hours vary from county to county. Since we live in a city that borders three counties we had trick-or-treaters visit yesterday, and more will come today and Tuesday. With so many trick-or-treat times and even more children wandering the streets the state is stepping in to help keep mini-ghosts and goblins safe from sex offenders.
This is the first Halloween that Wisconsin is allowing parents accesses to specific addresses of sex offenders in their area, not just by Zip Code. The Department of Corrections added exact addresses to its sex offender registry website (click here) last December. So now I (along with other parents) can see exactly where sex offenders live.
The state has also imposed rules sex offenders must follow this Halloween, including staying in their residence one hour before and one hour after any community-scheduled trick-or-treat activities. In addition, sex offenders are prohibited from participating in any Halloween activities with their children. In fact, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections has gone as far as mandating sex offenders keep their front porch lights off to discourage children from knocking on their doors. What’s more, probation officers will randomly visit sex offenders’ homes Tuesday night to make sure they’re following the rules. If they are found in violation they could be taken back into custody.
But Wisconsin is not the only state helping to protect kids from sex offenders this Halloween. In Tennessee, costume parties, jack-o-lanterns, haunted houses and handing out treats are forbidden under newly issued Halloween guidelines for sex offenders on probation or parole.
Tennessee authorities say they don’t want any interaction between sex offenders and children. Therefore, the new restrictions prohibit sex offenders from attending special Halloween events like corn mazes and haunted houses, handing out treats, displaying Halloween decorations, accompanying trick-or-treating children or wearing costumes. The new rules apply to all sex offenders on probation or parole and not specifically to those offenders whose crimes involved minors.
New York has also issued similar Halloween restrictions for sex offenders this year. And in Ohio and North Carolina sex offenders have been ordered to attend meetings with authorities that coincide with the prime hours for trick-or-treating.
Despite the new rules police officers say they can’t be everywhere so they are asking parents to be vigilant. It’s good advice to follow regardless of if your state has instituted the new Halloween guidelines for sex offenders.
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