GA- Registered sex offenders to be supervised Halloween night

10-25-2008 Georgia:

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Registered Sex offenders in Albany and Dougherty County will be kept under observation on Halloween Night.

The Dougherty County Sheriff's office reports there are more than 270 registered sex offenders living in Dougherty County, the most ever. But on Halloween evening all of them are ordered to report to several undisclosed locations, where they will be kept under observation while trick or treaters are out.

While children are going door to door throughout Dougherty County looking for treats, state and local law enforcement will make sure they don't encounter any tricks from registered sex offenders. All registered sex offenders are ordered to report to supervised meetings that night, and they have to stay there from about 5:30 until 9PM.

Approved Sex Offender Treatment Provider Dr. Cheryl Kaiser said "Through probation, parole, and a sex offender treatment program are going to be housed in one facility or another so they can be off the streets and the children free to trick or treat, and away from known sex offenders."

Dr. Kaiser says this supervision is necessary for the safety of the community, and that most of the sex offenders welcome it because they will be kept safe from any reoffense opportunity. Authorities will use the supervision period to counsel the registered sex offenders.

Dr. Kaiser said "The area I am going to be supervising we are going to be showing a sex offener specific movie. And there will be a lengthy discussion about the movie afterwards. The point of the movie is empathy driven so that sex offenders understand more of what victims have gone through."

Dougherty County Sheriff's Deputies and law enforcement will be doing curfew checks on the sex offenders homes Halloween, as well as patrolling church and business Halloween parties for kids are invited.

Dougherty County Sheriff's Office Captain Craig Dodd said "They will be frequently checked and some of them are going to have off duty officers as well as on duty officers depending on location."

This is the third year that Dougherty County registered sex offenders will be supervised during Halloween. Authorities say they will not give out the locations where those meetings will be held, to protect the sex offenders from potential harm.

Law enforcement still want parents to supervise their children while they are out trick or treating, to make sure it is a safe Halloween. ..News Source.. by Jim Wallace