Operation Halloween to keep sex offenders off the street again

Adobe Stock

An initiative of the Putnam County Adult Probation Department will keep area sex offenders from interacting with kids again on Oct. 31 of this year.

Operation Halloween requires all convicted and registered sex offenders under probationary supervision who have no-contact orders with children to participate in the program.

As part of the operation, all sex offenders must adhere to a special curfew and restrictions. Any exception to participation due to employment or community-based programs must be preapproved by the Probation Field Unit. Otherwise, they shall remain at home after 5 p.m. on Monday, oct. 30 and Tuesday, Oct. 31.

“They’re not going anywhere,” Chief Probation Officer Teresa Parrish said. “They have to be in their homes. Our field officers, along with Community Corrections officers, go out and check that they are in their homes and they have nothing in their yards.”

“Teresa and I decided years ago to make sure that these guys are not out,” Assistant Chief Probation Officer Garret Nichols added.

By dictating that yards aren’t even decorated, the Probation Department tries to ensure that these offenders don’t even have an opportunity to groom children in the lead-up to the holiday.

“The Adult Probation Department is proactive because our most precious resource is our children,” Nichols said. “Halloween is a time that they could groom our children.”

“We like to make sure that the public knows that our department is looking out for our children,” Parrish said.

Now in its seventh year, Nichols noted that Operation Halloween has often been uneventful, as they haven’t located offending parties or materials. While on the surface this doesn’t sound like success, the idea is that they are stopping such issues before they occur.

“The greatest sign is that they haven’t found anything,” Nichols said, with Parrish noting that the probation officers look everywhere it might be possible to be hiding elicit materials when they search an offender’s residence.

Still, vigilance is key. Parrish noted that when it comes to sex offenses with children, the offenders often don’t fit the description of a typical “criminal.”

“These seem like the nicest people you could ever meet,” Parrish said.

“A lot of them don’t even have a criminal past,” Nichols added.

“When they come in, I have to look at their files to remember what they’ve done,” Parrish continued. “They can sucker you. The kids and the parents can be charmed. And that’s how they’ve been able to take advantage of the children.”

Throughout the year, the Probation Department tries to partner with local law enforcement agencies so they know where sex offenders reside and can also keep an eye out.

The probation officers also work closely with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office as it maintains the sex offender registry.

“Local people can pull up the registry,” Parrish said.

In the end, the real goal is keeping the community and children safe.

“We like the community to know we’re here to serve them,” Nichols said.