TDOC officers make sex offender checks for Operation Blackout

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Officers with the Tennessee Department of Correction are making sure kids are safe this Halloween by checking up on sex offenders.

Operation Blackout is a yearly event that starts on October 21st and goes until Halloween.
Officers search homes of every single sex offender in the state of Tennessee that is on probation.

They make sure that they don’t have any Halloween decorations, candy and porch lights on.
Elizabeth Gentzler, a manager of the probation and parole unit for sex offenders at TDOC, say they do checks all year, but make a special effort around Halloween to ensure the safety of trick-or-treaters.

“We want them to enjoy Halloween. We want them and their families to have a good time. So we do everything we can to make sure that we don’t have any children victims,” Gentzler said.

Officers also make sure there are no drugs or firearms in the house.

Last week during an Operation Blackout check in Dunlap, an animal hoarding case was discovered.