Operation Safe Halloween: Halloween Safety Alert Issued for Saturday and Sunday

Atlanta's Department of Corrections has issued an alert of sorts: Operation Safe Halloween. The safety measure pertains to supervised sex offenders and Halloween safety for you and your child, according to the AJC. But don't let your guard down; the operation won't be keeping an eye on all the sex offenders in Georgia...only less than half of them.

Halloween Safety Alert Issued: decorations prohibited by sex offenders

Georgia sex offenders on probation or parole have been told Halloween night (and the Saturday before it) will have certain restrictions for them to observe in light of trick-or-treaters making the neighborhood rounds.

Sex offenders still supervised by the state's probation and parole officers (not those who aren't, mind you) will be required to not decorate their homes this Halloween weekend holiday, which falls on Sunday night this year. This is in hopes it will help deter trick-or-treaters from going to sex offenders homes.

Halloween Safety Alert Issued: lights out at 6p.m. for sex offenders

Georgia probation and parole officers have also instructed their supervised sex offenders to turn off their homes outside lights too, according to the AJC, in order to discourage trick-or-treaters from contemplating a visit to their home in the first place.

In the case of a child or adult making their way to the sex offender's door anyway, the supervised sex offenders have also been instructed not to open their door. Emergency workers and law enforcement officers are to be the only individuals supervised sex offenders in Georgia open their doors to on Halloween night. So if you knock and don't get an answer: leave.

Halloween Safety Alert Issued: 13,000 sex offenders YOUR responsibility!

If you think sex offenders in Georgia probably reside on someone else's street besides your own: think again. Almost 19,000 such offenders are spread from one part of the state of Georgia to the other. Click here to see how many live in your county, thanks to a Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) map.

Only 6,000 sex offenders will be monitored and restricted, according to the AJC, due to the remaining 13,000 no longer being on supervised watch by a probation or parole officer.

 These other 13,000 sex offenders have served their time and are free to come and go as they please. Thus these 13,000 sex offenders are YOUR responsibility to avoid. Will you allow your child to run to the house next door without you, now?

Halloween Safety Alert Issued: Missouri and Chicago issue alerts too

Georgia is but one state taking the precautions against a sex offense happening to a child or adult trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Missouri and Chicago have issued their own warnings about sex offenders as well.

All three states stress the need for vigilance Halloween night for adults and children's safety. Their police departments are increasing prevention patrols that night. And according to the AJC, Georgia's probation and parole officers will be doing their part, too, to protect you and your child from sex offenses by supervised sex offenders.

It is up to you to do your part to protect you and your family from Georgia's 13,000 unsupervised sex offenders on Halloween night. Click on the "Subscribe" button at the top of this page to be sent special links to websites that can help you to do that this Halloween weekend.

Resources: AJC.com; GBI.gov