Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and two state agencies are offering families a short checklist before the costumes come out.
Checking the registry
The Texas Department of Public Safety runs the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry, a free website that lets anyone search for registered offenders by location and see the information on file, including photos, addresses and offense details. DPS recommends looking at it while planning a trick-or-treat route, according to KPRC in Houston.
The registry's home page also offers a subscription service that sends email notices about changes in the database, and the full list can be downloaded. Users are asked to review a disclosure statement before searching. DPS warns that it cannot guarantee every record has been correctly matched to the person a user is looking for.
Being on the list does not automatically bar someone from Halloween activities, KPRC noted. Whether a registrant faces restrictions can depend on the terms of that person's parole or probation and on local rules.
DPS also advises families to stay in neighborhoods they know, keep an eye on children and not go inside strangers' homes. Other tips in the KPRC report: travel in a group on an agreed route, use sidewalks and crosswalks, carry a flashlight or glow stick, skip masks that block vision, and let an adult check candy before anyone eats it.
Homeowners can help by leaving porch lights on, clearing walkways and using LED candles in decorations instead of open flames.
