A Georgia sheriff’s office wants to make sure that kids who go trick-or-treating stay away from the homes of registered sex offenders. To mark the houses that children should avoid, the Butts County Sheriff’s Office went around and posted signs at the homes of registered sex offenders that said "WARNING! NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS"
In a Facebook post letting residents know his department would be hanging the signs, Sheriff Gary Long explained that "Georgia law forbids registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween."
As Sheriff, there is nothing more important to me than the safety of your children. This Halloween, my office has placed signs in front of every registered sex offender's house to notify the public that it's a house to avoid. Georgia law forbids registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween, to include decorations on their property.
According to USA Today, there are 50 registered sex offenders in Butts County.
"There are some sex offenders that are not happy," Long said. "But I’m not in the business of making them happy. I’m in the business of keeping safe communities and making sure that our children are protected."