(WJW) – While Halloween is a fun time for kids to dress up and go door-to-door for free treats, for parents, there are a lot of safety concerns.
2021 marks the first restriction-free Halloween for many families amid the coronavirus pandemic.
With kids heading out and about like a traditional year, here are some tips for parents to keep kids safe.
There are 20,650 registered sex offenders in Ohio.
Sources tell the I-Team the adult parole authority has placed temporary restrictions on registered sex offenders who are on probation or parole, so they can’t hand out candy during trick or treat or other Halloween festivities. They also can’t put up Halloween decorations at their homes.
This doesn’t apply to sex offenders who are no longer on probation or parole.
According to Kids Live Safe, Cuyahoga and Summit counties have some of the highest numbers of sex offenders in Ohio.
Here are the top 10 zip codes in Ohio with the highest number of registered sex offenders:
To check your neighborhood, go to the Ohio Sex Offender Registry here.
You can put in your zip code or the zip code where you are trick-or-treating.
The database will then tell you how many sex offenders are in that zip code.
You can also look at offenders within a particular radius of your address.
The site will show you a map, addresses, names, mug shots and convictions.
The website also encourages parents to screen adults who have regular contact with their kids, like tutors, teachers, coaches, church leaders and daycare providers.
The website also allows you to set up email alerts to notify you when sex offenders move into your neighborhood.
