City Police Remind Sex Offenders Of Rules Ahead Of Halloween
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—It's the day before thousands of kids across the city take to the streets Halloween night in search of candy, but before they do Baltimore City police are making sure they are safe from sex offenders.
Rochelle Ritchie rides along with the cops to check on those offenders.
Thousands of kids will hit the streets Halloween night, but before they do Baltimore City police are making sure sex offenders are following the necessary rules: no decorations, no candy and no contact with children.
Thursday morning, officers with the Sex Offender Unit prepared to visit the homes of more than 200 registered sex offenders in the city.
"Sex offenders [who] have juvenile victims as a part of their background and to ensure the safety of the children, we want to make sure they are complying with registry laws and live where they say they live," said Sgt. Adam Kirhagis, Baltimore City Police.
The mission is to find them and remind them of the procedures they are to follow on Halloween night.
Those on the city police radar tell WJZ they know what to do and they are doing it.
"Put sign on the door says no candy and stay in the house," a sex offender said.
"Just stay home during the time of trick or treating," said another sex offender, who when asked if kids still tend to ring his doorbell responded, "No, I just keep the light off."
Executive director for the Baltimore Child Abuse Center Adam Rosenberg says police are not legally required to do a pre-Halloween check but it warns sex offenders they are being watched.
"The clever sex offender has the opportunity to do this anytime of the year. This just happens to be a time where there are a lot of children unmonitored going to strangers houses asking for candy," Rosenberg said.
There are more than 1000 registered sex offenders in Baltimore City. To find out where sex offenders are in your neighborhood, click here.
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