Registered Sex Offenders Will Be Heavily Monitored On Halloween

Police will be teaming up with local parole agents across the state this weekend to make sure sex offenders stay home on Halloween night.

All of the state’s 5,000 registered sex offenders under active community supervison are subject to special restrictions on Halloween. Grace Roberts, who heads the Department of Corrections sex offender program, said they began actively enforcing the rules under the Halloween Knock and Talk program about 8 years ago.

“It’s letting the registrants know that you are under supervison, that we are holding you accountable and it’s not OK for you to encourage children to come to your house and take candy,” said Roberts.

Offenders are barred from putting up Halloween decorations that might attract children to knock on their doors. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said his officers will be out both this weekend and next reminding registrants they’re being watched.

“So we go knock on the door and they better be home, they better answer the door,” said Clarke. “We make sure they don’t have decorations. If we were to go to a house and we have seen this, and they have Halloween decorations in the window, they get arrested.”

Last Halloween in Milwaukee County, 19 offenders were arrested for a wide variety of parole violations. It’s hard to prove these restrictions actually reduce or prevent child sex crimes. The number of such crimes nationally has dropped by more than 60 percent over the past 20 years.

Studies have shown about 60 percent of such crimes are committed by a friend or family member, but corrections officials say the Halloween checkups are a god way to remind parents to be aware of who lives in their neighborhood.