Forrest County Sheriff's Office Directs Parents to Registry Before Halloween Routes

The Forrest County Sheriff's Office told parents this week to review the state sex offender registry before settling on a trick-or-treating route. Major Jamie Humphrey said residents often do not realize how many registered offenders live nearby.

"Most people have no idea that a sex offender lives in their neighborhood or even as close to their residence as they do," Humphrey said.

Mississippi law does not restrict registered offenders from decorating their homes or distributing candy on Halloween, according to Humphrey. Florida bars registered offenders there from putting up decorations. "And that's something maybe the state of Mississippi needs to look at," Humphrey said. "But there's no rule against them putting Halloween decorations up or even giving out candy on Halloween. They can do that."

Parents can search the Mississippi Sex Offender Registry, published by the Department of Public Safety, by address or ZIP code. If an offender's residence appears along a planned route, Humphrey said to skip that block. "The best thing to do is just avoid the house, save any guesswork and just stay away from it. That's the best advice I could give a parent," he said.

The office also told parents to supervise children under 12, check collected candy, and watch street crossings. Humphrey said children should make eye contact with drivers rather than relying only on looking both ways. "That way, that driver knows that that child's there," he said.