A sheriff’s office in Georgia has placed signs on the front yards of registered sex offenders to deter trick-or-treaters from visiting their homes on Halloween.
Butts County Sheriff Gary Long shared a photo of one of the signs on the office’s Facebook page on Saturday. In the post, Long said the notices were “in accordance with Georgia Law,” which states that sheriffs must inform the public of the “presence of sexual offenders in each community.”
The signs include the text “Warning! No trick-or-treat at this address” and include images of stop signs and a Halloween bag with a caution symbol over it.
“As Sheriff, there is nothing more important to me than the safety of your children,” Long said.
The sheriff told local media there are 54 registered sex offenders in Butts County and all of them have one of the signs on their yards ahead of Halloween night.
Long told CBS News that most of the registered sex offenders understood, but that a few of them sent him emails objecting to the displays.
“At the end of the day, I don’t care if they do like it or if they don’t like it. My job is to ensure the safety of the children and the community and that’s what I’m going to do.”
The Butts County Sheriff’s Office isn’t the only one taking extra precautions, either. In neighbouring Spalding County, the sheriff there said flyers with warnings would be pasted on registered sex offenders’ houses. In Munroe County, just south of Butts County, the deputy said sex offenders would have to “spend the evening at the sheriff’s office” if they choose to not have the signs in their yard.
With files from The Associated Press
