How to check for sex offenders in your neighborhood before going trick-or-treating
(Getty / FDLE)
ORLANDO, Fla. - Millions of children are expected to hit the streets this Halloween, as they go door-to-door in search of candy.
According to the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, there are more than 73,000 offenders and predators on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's (FDLE) sex offender registry list. Over 28,000 of those reside in Florida communities.
Florida law prohibits sex offenders and predators on supervised probation from handing out candy or other items to children on Halloween.
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To check to see if there are sex offenders in your area, visit the FDLE website. The website has a list of all registered sex offenders and you can search through them using a zip code and a map.
The Miami Herald suggests that parents accompany their children when trick-or-treating. If you cannot, check-in with your child through your phone's GPS-enabled apps and by calling. They also advise that families trick-or-treating watch the road, use a flashlight, do not eat any candy until checking for tampering and download the FDLE Mobile App.