ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Law enforcement in northeast Florida is ramping up patrols through neighborhoods for Halloween, on the lookout for any lawbreakers, especially sex offenders who could be violating the Florida statutes.
"We realize there are Halloween parties with adults, so we have traffic concerns, we have children walking in the streets, so we don't want to have DUIs and traffic concerns with children in the streets," said Cmdr. Chuck Mulligan, of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Mulligan said the Sheriff's Office will have youth resource officers, detectives, traffic units and more deputies on the streets ready to respond to any scenario.
"Our goal is to not to have to arrest anyone," he said. "Our goal is to keep the kids safe. And so if all those rules are being followed and there are no violations, then certainly we move forward until the next year and to the next Halloween."
As for sex offenders, the Sheriff's Office talks to them before the holiday night and reminds them of the ordinances, including that they have to put a sign out indicating there is no candy and they are not celebrating Halloween. They also can't have outside lights on or any holiday decorations.
The agency will conduct checks on those people Halloween night.
"Our intelligence lead policing unit will also be out doing Halloween safety checks on sex offenders to ensure none of them are in violation of St. Johns County ordinances, and that remains a safe avenue for our kids as well," Mulligan said.
He said this is a good reminder to parents out trick-or-treating with their children to supervise them while they are out and not approach a home that doesn't look like it's in the Halloween spirit.