Halloween and trick-or-treating is a lot of fun for kids, but parents have to think about the possible dangers.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says there are 195 registered sex offenders, and he wants parents to know where they are so they can avoid those houses when 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 www.slpsheriff.com to see who the registered sex offenders are and where they are living,” says Guidroz.
Citizens are encouraged to check any addresses where they or their family spend time.
“The mapping and address feature found on the website pinpoints exactly where an offender lives," Guidroz says.
On the sheriff's website parents also will find many other beneficial tools such as the ability to sign up for free automatic email notifications informing you if an offender moves within a specified radius of any address you register.
“If you aren’t planning on trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, but will be in a family or friend’s neighborhood, register their address beforehand so you know which houses to avoid. You can register any and all of the addresses where your children spend a lot of time; for example friends, grandparents, or babysitter’s addresses,” Guidroz says.
The alerts are in real-time and sent out via e-mail as soon as a new offender has registered with the sheriff’s office.
“The benefit of registering for this free confidential e-mail alert service is that it allows us to monitor your important addresses for you, thereby keeping you up to date of newly registered offenders and making it unnecessary for you to have to check your important addresses daily or even weekly," Guidroz says.
To access this information, go here, then click on the “Search For Sex Offenders” under the "How do I" tab, then click on “locate registered sex offenders” and follow the instructions to check your neighborhood and sign up to receive free e-mail alerts.
Guidroz encourages everyone to have a fun and safe Halloween. Knowledge is power and knowing where the registered sex offenders reside in your area can help you make the best choices for safe and enjoyable Halloween activities, he adds.
If you need more information, you can call the St. Landry Parish Sex Offender Unit at 337-948-5254.
To help out on Halloween, the sheriff’s office will have additional units to look for sex offenders not complying with the laws and to quickly respond to complaints of non-compliance. There will also be extra patrols in all the High Traffic areas of the parish where Trick or Treat is taking place.
"Our Sex Offender Unit will patrol throughout the parish, especially in the most congested areas looking for sex offenders. Louisiana law specifically prohibits sex offenders from wearing masks or hoods during Halloween, Mardi Gras, Easter, and Christmas," the sheriff explains. "The law also mandates that sex offenders are not to dispense candy or gifts on Halloween or the other mentioned holidays."
Sex Offenders are not allowed to dispense candy from their homes or anyone else’s home. If someone dispenses candy at their residence, the sex offender must remain in the background and out of sight. For more information, please call the St. Landry Parish Sex Offender Unit at 337-948-6516.
