Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator is urging parents to check the Sex Offender Registry before Halloween.

“It is critical to ‘Know Before You Go’ this Halloween,” he said. “There are currently 549 sex offenders living in Caddo Parish. Another 201 with Caddo Parish residences are incarcerated. It’s important that parents know which homes their children are visiting.”

Citizens and parents can quickly search for offenders in their area using the statewide database by clicking here.  Simply enter your home address to view a printable map of your neighborhood and any offenders in the surrounding area.

“We do our best to ensure sex offenders live where they tell us, but it is up to our citizens to utilize these online tools to see who the registered sex offenders are and where they are living,” Sheriff Prator said. 

According to statistics from the Department of Justice and Watch Systems LLC, an estimated 80% of all addresses have at least one sex offender within one mile.  Forty-five percent of sexual assault victims are under twelve, and 75% of victims know their attacker.  Over half of all sexual assaults occur within one mile of the victim’s home. 

While you are on the website, Sheriff Prator encourages you to take one extra step and register for the site’s free e-mail alerts.  “You can enter your home, school, grandparents’ addresses to receive real-time e-mail notifications any time an offender moves within one mile of any address you register,” he said. 

If you aren’t planning on Trick-or-Treating in your own neighborhood, but will be in a different neighborhood, register that address beforehand so you know which houses to avoid.  The alerts are in real-time and sent out via e-mail as soon as an offender has registered with the Sheriff’s Office or other Police Department.

There is no cost of this service to the public, and no limit to the number of addresses you can register.  Your e-mail address and physical addresses are all confidential.

With these resources available, Sheriff Prator said parents can feel confident that they are armed with the necessary tools to keep their children safe this Halloween.