Police Ensure Sex Offenders Stay Inside, Lights Out Halloween

A massive statewide sweep is underway to ensure sex offenders stay indoors Halloween night with the Tennessee Department of Correction’s Operation Blackout.

"On Halloween night we actually have 30 officers including sheriff’s deputies," said Kevin Adkins who is a Parole and Probation Manager for TDOC. "And we’re out doing home visits with these guys. Making sure they’re home, complying by the curfew and this way we can enhance public safety."

Registered sex offenders are required to be in their homes by 6 p.m. Halloween and they can’t leave their homes until 6 Sunday morning.

"They’re not allowed to decorate their homes," Adkins said. "They’re not allowed to give out candy. They have to have all their lights turned off. Noone can dress in costume. So we’re out in the community being visible for the safety of the children."

Many parents are already on edge Halloween.

"We stand back and we watch them approach the door and watch them exit. Then we move along to the next house. If a house is not lit, we don’t approach it," said Lisa Zeik, mother of three.

"We will trick or treat in neighborhoods that we have family or close friends in and usually a very tight community," Wiles said.

Some counties in Georgia require registered sex offenders to display a sign on their door though some local officials have found this unreasonable.

"There should be no doubt in a parents mind that if you’ve committed that crime, they should be aware of that," Wiles said. "Anything to protect children against sexual offenders and predators, there’s not anything too extreme to prevent that."