PUEBLO – Thousands of kids will soon go knocking on neighborhood doors in search of the best candy Halloween has to offer.
But before they hit the streets, Pueblo Police are working to make sure the children stay safe.
Officers conducted unannounced compliance checks on the 14 most sexually violent predators in the city this week. All but one were found to be in compliance, which essentially checks to see the person is living at the address given to authorities.
Still, there’s no state law banning sex offenders from handing out candy on Halloween.
That’s why police are stressing the importance of parents remaining with their trick-or-treaters and making sure everyone is visible.
“If you’re going to decide to go house-to-house, make sure the kids have the arm bands and lights.. those little cam lights on them, that way people can see them,” said Sgt. Franklyn Ortega with the Pueblo Police Department. “Escort them from your car, to the house, back to the car.”
Ortega said another good option for trick-or-treating is going to a controlled event. The department its first-ever “Trunk or Treat” on Oct. 31, at the parking lot adjacent to the police department, from 5 to 7 p.m.
That said, there are still a number of resources for parents to check and see if sex offenders are living in their neighborhood.
The city maintains an updated list of registered sex offenders living in the city. That can be found here. A list of the city’s sexually violent predators is kept here.
There are additional online resources. Colorado’s list is kept here, and for a look at the national database, click this link.
