After the pumpkins are carved, the costumes are picked out, and the candy bags are double-stitched and reinforced with rivets, you are ready to plan your family’s route for trick-or-treat. But before you do, you may want to check the New Jersey State Police website for OffenderWatch, which is a mapping and notification service that informs citizens of the location of registered sex offenders.
In New Jersey there are approximately 3,800 registered sex offenders. By using the online service, you can pinpoint exactly where offenders live and even receive free email notifications if an offender moves within a specified radius of any address you register. If you plan on trick-or-treating in a family or friend’s neighborhood, register their address beforehand to determine if there are any offenders living in the area.
“Our job is to make sure sex offenders are living where they tell us,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “So we encourage our residents to check any addresses where they or their families spend time.”
This online service is maintained by the New Jersey State Police State Bureau of Identification and can be accessed at njsp.org. You can simply click on the link to search for offenders in your area or register to receive free, confidential email alerts about nearby offenders.
You’ve provided your children with flashlights or glow sticks, and you’re going to check their candy before they eat it. But before they walk out the door, make sure you know who lives in the neighborhoods where your kid are trick-or-treating.
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By: Jay Edwards
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(Photo Credit: New Jersey State Police)