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Police Advise Checking Sex Offender Registry Ahead Of Trick-Or-Treating

DETROIT (WWJ) - With Halloween on the way, do you know who will be passing out candy to you children?

Michigan's sex offender registry, available to the public online, will show parents exactly where offenders in their communities live and work.

Macomb County Sheriff's Sgt. Pam McLean says it's important to know if registered sex offenders live in your neighborhood before your kids head out trick-or-treating on October 31.

All you have to do, she explained, is visit this link and type in your address to find out where possible dangerous could be lurking in your neighborhood.

"It's obviously a tool that's out there for the public to be aware of," McLean told WWJ's Zahra Huber. "It gives us knowledge, and knowledge is always useful, and knowledge is always a power, and knowledge is always something that will reduce the possibility of something happening."

McLean said first and foremost, it's important that a parent or other responsible adult accompany youngsters while they are out trick-or-treating. When it comes to older kids and teens, make sure they go out and stay in a larger group.

"The most important thing is just to know where the kids are, what they're doing and who they're with and where they're going; and I think that in general reduces the risk of a lot of unsavory situations," McLean said.

The registry included names, photos and addresses of those convicted of sex crimes, as well as a list of their offenses.

[Do A Search for Registered Sex Offenders In Your Area]

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