Safety on the Streets

When I was a little kid, dressed up in a sparkly princess dress or cheap witch costume, I remember running up and down the streets of my old neighborhood, knocking on every door and demanding my share of candy. There were houses that gave out the good stuff, houses that slacked but still put effort, and random dark houses with nothing to offer. My friends and I would check every house no matter what, but the dark ones never proved to be worth our time. Now that I'm older, I can only wonder who the residences of those silent houses might be. Sure, there are some innocent old people who are too tired to stay up, and some adults without kids who simply lack spirit, but they could also have been SEX OFFENDERS.

According to the article I read, the 900 sex offenders on parole in Georgia have to stay locked up in their houses tonight, on Halloween. From 5 to10 pm the sex offenders will have to have their lights turned off, doors are locked, and refrain from distributing candy. Parole officers will be checking the houses between these times to make sure these orders are being followed. The extreme measures that the state is taking to ensure the safety of children is actually a positive thing that the police force can spend their time doing, for once. For that I applaud them. Although it can't prevent all possible harm, it is a huge step to improve safety.

Since I stopped writing this blog to more or less trick-or-treat, and just came back to it now, I have to say I was curious when I passed those dark houses. Although we got a late start and most people were done anyway, I wonder if some of the empty houses were sex offenders. I'm glad to know I was apparently being protected from these dangers. I even saw a cop car parked in someone's driveway, although it could have been unrelated. At the very least, this can ease the mind of parents. Hopefully everyone had a safe night.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/registered-sex-offenders-being-watched-on-hallowee/nSsJh/