When kids are out trick-or-treating, one of parents’ biggest worries is safety — but efforts by a Middle Georgia sheriff’s office to keep children safe are now at the center of a federal class action lawsuit. Full Article and Lawsuit Related GA: Palmer Sheriff Puts ‘No Trick-Or-Treat’ Signs in Yards of Sex Offenders
Read MoreTag: Halloween
Halloween Marathon Details
Dear ACSOL members, In less than two weeks, NARSOL and ACSOL together will be hosting the third annual “Halloween Conference Call and Cop Watch Marathon.” Both NARSOL’s Larry Neely and ACSOL’s Janice Bellucci will be taking questions, reporting on the latest legal developments, and collecting live reports on troubling law enforcement activities around the nation to prohibit Halloween involvement by the families of people on the registry. Our goal is to have attorneys from all over the country participating in the call and willing to opine on the constitutionality…
Read MoreGA: Palmer Sheriff Puts ‘No Trick-Or-Treat’ Signs in Yards of Sex Offenders
[1065.iheart.com – 10/17/19] A Sheriff in Georgia is not messing around when it comes to Halloween. He put up “No Trick-Or-Treat at This Address” signs in the yards of sex offenders in order to keep children out of harms way. “I’m not trying to humiliate ’em or anything like that. Let’s face reality: We have a greater chance of children getting run over by a car [on Halloween] than being a victim of sexual assault by a repeat offender,” says Sheriff Gary Long. “But at the end of the day…
Read MoreOH: Sheriff’s office says check sex offender list before children go trick-or-treating
[salemnews.net – 10/18/19] LISBON — With about 158 registered sex offenders living in Columbiana County, the county sheriff’s office is reminding residents they can check for the registered addresses online so children can avoid those houses while trick-or-treating. “We do the best we can in making sure sex offenders live where they tell us, so it is crucial that our citizens visit our website to see who the registered sex offenders are and where they are living,” said Chief Deputy Kip Dowling, adding he encourages county citizens to check…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: Time to Dispel the Halloween Myth
It’s that time again, Halloween, pumpkins, trick or treaters, candy, Stranger Danger news coverage and the registry police. It’s hard to imagine that between law enforcement and the news media, what was once an enjoyable festive holiday for young and old alike has by all accounts been turned into a fictitious, stranger-danger, panic event of epic proportions for registrants. All these years the public’s been led to believe that children are at an increased danger at Halloween because of registrants. (Somehow the fact that the highest risk to children at…
Read MoreGA: NCSO to host 13th annual Halloween Shut-In for sex offenders
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Community Supervision will host their 13th annual sex offender Halloween Shut-In from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. Full Article
Read MoreACSOL and NARSOL Halloween Marathon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE . . . (October 1, 2019) CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS TO MONITOR POLICE ON HALLOWEEN “Cop-watch” hotline to be open for six hours Albuquerque, NM | Sacramento, CA—The National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (NARSOL) and the Alliance for Constitutional Sexual Offense Laws (ACSOL) denounce what they believe are unconstitutional laws and blanket restrictions imposed by some state statutory schemes and supervising authorities across the country each Halloween. The organizations join together in demanding to know why every year at this time newspapers and TV news programs…
Read MoreAR: Arkansas Sex offenders barred from Halloween activities with new law
[myarklamiss.com – 7/25/19] FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA) — We are less than 100 days away from Halloween, and after Wednesday, parents won’t have to be as scared about sending the kids off to trick-or-treat. Nothing is more important to Jennifer Quick than her four kids. “My children’s safety is a top priority,” she said. And as Act 463 goes into effect, she takes a sigh of relief. “I feel like the lawmakers finally putting in some effort towards the safety of our children is a big deal and I think it’s…
Read MoreAR: Bill to ban sex offenders from some Halloween activities dealt setback in committee vote
Senate Bill 10 — sponsored by Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, and Rep. Rebecca Petty, R-Rogers — was knocked down by the committee after a lengthy discussion, but the vote was expunged, allowing its sponsors an opportunity to present it again later. SB10 would bar a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act of 1997 and who is assessed as a level 3 or level 4 offender from distributing treats to a child or from wearing a mask or other costume as part of a Halloween-related event.…
Read MoreCA: Sex offender task force raids valley homes, checks felon compliance
With Halloween Wednesday, children across the valley will take to the streets for a night of trick or treating. How do you know whose doors they’re knocking on…and if your kids are safe? Police gave News Channel 3’s Jake Ingrassia an exclusive look at their secret operation working behind the scenes to keep tabs on the valley’s registered sex offenders. Full Article / Video Also see Halloween is a no-go for sex offenders on probation in Los Angeles County
Read MoreGA: Georgia sheriff’s office places ‘No Trick-or-Treat’ signs in sex offenders’ yards
[fox11online.com – 10/30/18] ACKSON, Georgia (WSYX/WTTE) — A Georgia sheriff’s office is placing “No Trick-or-Treat” signs in sex offenders’ yards in an effort to keep children safe. “As Sheriff, there is nothing more important to me than the safety of your children,” said Butts County Sheriff Gary Long. “This Halloween, my office has placed signs in front of every registered sex offender’s house to notify the public that it’s a house to avoid.” Long said Georgia law forbids registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween. That includes decorating their property…
Read MoreGroup that promotes ‘rational sex offense laws’ says it’ll open Halloween hotline (NARSOL)
A group that says it advocates for ‘rational sexual offense laws’ is organizing a nationwide Halloween hotline and vows to hold local governments, law enforcement agencies and parole/probation officers accountable if “the constitutional rights of law-abiding, registered sex offenders are violated under the pretext of protecting the public on Halloween.” Full Article NARSOL Announcment Halloween Marathon October 31st, 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. EDT Please join NARSOL for our second annual Halloween marathon/”Cop-watch” hot line session, beginning at 5 p.m. eastern time on October 31st. We will be live for five…
Read MoreHalloween: When Sex Offenders Are the Scariest Ghosts
Why do we scare ourselves about how much our kids are at risk? Full Article
Read MoreMO: Registered sex offenders in Dent County will have signs outside their home this Halloween
[ky3.com – 10/23/18] SALEM, Mo. — We are now just 8 days away from Halloween and one local sheriff’s office here in the Ozarks wants to make it a safe night for all the kids going door to door. That’s why the Dent Co sheriff’s office wants a particular group of people to put a sign outside their home. The Dent County Sheriff’s Office is asking all the registered sex offenders in the county and especially those inside the Salem city limits to put this sign reading, no treats or…
Read MoreGA: All registered sex offenders will gather in Council Chambers on Halloween
[Updated] With Halloween right around the corner, Grovetown is rounding up registered sex offenders to make the night a little less frightening for parents and children out trick-or-treating. Full Article Jones for Mayor Facebook Page Related Media Washington Post Article 10/24 http://metrospirit.com/beware-sex-offenders-grovetown/ 10/24 https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/10/27/mayor-causes-stir-over-what-he-declared-will-happen-to-sex-offenders-on-halloween-night 10/27
Read MorePatch Publishes Completely Unnecessary Sex Offender Maps to Keep Kids Safe on Halloween
Every year around Halloween time, Patch, the news website specializing in local coverage around the country, publishes maps that show where sex offenders live. Patch claims this is some kind of public service, even though a thorough study of 67,000 cases of child molestation found zero increase in sex crimes against children on Halloween. Full Article
Read MoreGA: Thomas County deputies keep ‘watchful eye’ on sex offenders
[walb.com – 10/4/18] THOMAS CO., GA (WALB) – Locating and registering sex offenders is a top priority for Georgia sheriff’s offices. The Thomas County Sheriff’s Office said they verify registered sex offenders multiple times throughout the year, as part of the “Operation Watchful Eye” initiative. Lt. Tim Watkins, Thomas County Sheriff’s Office chief investigator, said Halloween is one of those holidays that they make sure all registered sex offenders in the county are where they’re suppose to be. “They have to be inside their residence. They cannot have any decorations…
Read MoreMA: Sex offenders have access to kids on Halloween
[bostonherald.com – 10/7/18] Sex offenders are forbidden under state law from driving an ice cream truck, but they can hand out all the candy they want on Halloween in what one child advocate is calling a risky oversight. “Halloween is like Christmas for sex offenders,” said attorney Wendy Murphy. “They know they’ll have lots of access to kids and that they can’t get in trouble even though they’re required to stay away from children.” Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas all have “no candy” laws that ban sex offenders…
Read More