With Halloween just a few days away, Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree is encouraging area parents and caregivers to educate themselves about registered sex offenders potentially living in their neighborhood before taking their children trick or-treating.
“Our office maintains the registry and compliance of over 1,100 sex offenders living in every community in Summit County,” said Sheriff Fatheree. “While we don’t want to scare families, it is important that parents know ahead of time which homes they may want to avoid.”
Summit County residents can search for sex offenders in their area through the real time interactive map on the Summit County Sheriff’s Office mobile app, or on the Sheriff’s Office website under the Resources tab.
While it is important to note that not every registered sex offender committed a crime against a minor, and that Ohio utilizes a Tiered system of offense classification, each offender’s criminal charges are available for the public to view.
“If an offender lives nearby, use the opportunity as a teaching experience with your children and develop a plan of what to do if they are approached by such an individual,” said Sheriff Fatheree. “Explain to them that most people are good and don’t want to harm them, but that there is someone in their neighborhood who did hurt another person and should be avoided.”
The Sheriff’s Office reminds parents and caregivers that children should always be accompanied by an adult when trick-or-treating, that they should remain in well-lit and visible areas, and if possible should trick-or-treat in groups.
