JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Halloween night is filled with excitement, costumes, and trick-or-treating, but for many parents, it can also be a source of worry.
To ease those concerns, Jefferson County safety officials implemented a Halloween safety initiative aimed at protecting children during the festivities.
Lt. Colonel and Undersheriff Tim Whitney of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office explained the purpose behind this initiative, saying, “Tonight we’re sharing with you our Halloween safety initiative, that’s a cooperative effort to make sure sex offenders in Jefferson County are in compliance with Missouri’s revised statute this Halloween.”
As part of the initiative, officers from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office joined forces with local departments from Arnold, De Soto, Herculaneum, Byrnes Mill, Festus, and Hillsboro to conduct annual Halloween enforcement checks on registered sex offenders. These checks ensure compliance with Halloween-specific regulations intended to limit interactions between sex offenders and children.
“The checks are important to make sure that registered sex offenders are not having any interaction with children… on Halloween or hopefully any other time of the year,” said Detective Hollie Lunsford.
FOX 2 joined law enforcement officers on Halloween night as they made rounds, visiting 12 residences assigned for checks. At one residence, the officers found the individual was not home, but they spoke with a neighbor who shared that the resident typically arrives home between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Officers noted the information and planned to return later to verify compliance.
If officers encounter offenders not following guidelines, cases may be referred to the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation.
The Halloween-specific rules for registered sex offenders include: no contact with children, remaining indoors from 5 to 10:30 p.m. unless given permission to leave, and keeping outdoor lights off after 5 p.m.
“Our goal is to keep Jefferson County as the safest community in the region specifically on this Halloween night which many of our families and children will be out and about participating in Halloween activities,” said Lt. Colonel Whitney.
Additional officers were out on Halloween night to check compliance for more than 100 registered sex offenders. For families seeking extra peace of mind, the Missouri Highway Patrol website offers a map of registered offenders’ addresses, allowing parents to plan their trick-or-treat routes.
FOX 2 will provide an update on the logistics of Thursday night’s checks as more information becomes available on Friday morning.