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Halloween and Sex Offenders

Posted on Friday, October 20, 2017
We recently highlighted this in our special edition Halloween Newsletter - but wanted to leave this here for people who are not registered to receive notifications can still see it.

Family Watchdog gets hundreds of e-mails around Halloween asking "What are the laws in regards to sex offenders and Halloween?" There is not a simple answer to that. Each city of each state has different rules for sex offenders. While some may have to have their lights shut off and remain inside, some offenders from the same county are allowed to pass out candy.

Why is this? For the most part, it depends on the sex offender's conviction and the county that they reside in.

Nashville, TN is a place where sex offenders are limited to the fullest: Sexual offenders convicted of sex crimes have all signed a set of fall rules that prohibits them from participating in trick-or-treating. Sex offenders are not allowed to have their porch lights on, open their doors to anyone except law enforcement, to have fall decorations, wear costumes or attend fall festivals or parties. The goal of these rules are to make the houses completely in-inviting for children. Police in Nashville have already started dispatching their special force for "operation blackout" - where they go around to these known and registered offenders houses and make sure they are in compliance with these rules. Go Nashville! I know I would feel a little safer knowing they are going the extra mile. But don't forget to go with your gut instinct and keep your eyes open.

To keep your family safe, we recommend passing on all sex offender's houses if you feel uneasy about it. You can go to our site at Family Watchdog and make a personal list of the sex offenders in your area that you would like to avoid. You can also call your local police and ask them what they are having sexual offenders do this Halloween. That way, if you see a house with porch lights on that shouldn't have them on, you can report it.

City police do a great job of monitoring the neighborhoods on Halloween. It is a huge rumor that Halloween is a specific night where sexual offenders "prowl" on children. There are no known increases with child abuse or abduction on October 31st in the past.

As always, be SAFE and AWARE of your surroundings. Keep an eye on your children at all times and talk with them about the safety topics we have provided you with in this newsletter. If you see something suspicious, report it.

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