Sheriff: Check for sex offenders before Halloween
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The Wake County sheriff is urging parents to check the state's sex offender registry before sending their kids out to trick-or-treat this Halloween.
Sheriff Donnie Harrison says his deputies spot check registered sex offenders throughout the county, unannounced, several times a year. However, it is up to parents to know exactly which homes your child is visiting Halloween night.
The registry is a free online tool on the NC Dept. of Public Safety website: http://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/
By plugging in your address, you can pull up information on any and all registered sex offenders living within 1, 3, or 5 miles of your home. You'll see exactly where they live and what crimes they were convicted of.
"It is up to date and every parent should go to it, especially if they have small kids, especially on Halloween with the kids out playing," said Harrison. "Make sure they see where these sex offenders are living and then that way they can make sure they don't go to that house."
Harrison also encourages parents to chaperone their kids on Halloween night, don't let them go inside a stranger's home, and inspect all their candy before they eat it.
Parents can also sign up for email alerts through the NC Sex Offender Registry to be notified when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood.
