Operation Halloween designed to keep children safe on Halloween

Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 3:22 PM

By Paul Gable

Operation Halloween has been underway since yesterday and will remain in effect today. The program targets sex offenders and requires them to follow a curfew.

Since 2016, children in Putnam County participating in Trick or Treating have been safe through an initiative with the Putnam County Probation Department.

Operation Halloween has been underway since yesterday and will remain in effect today. The program targets sex offenders and requires them to follow a curfew from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on both Oct. 30 and Oct. 31.

"They are not allowed to have any holiday decorations or give out candy. Basically they cannot participate or give the appearance they are participating in the activities of Halloween. They are to keep their porch lights off and cannot answer the dors," Garret Nichols, assistant chief probation officer, told The Putnam County Post.

Nichols said probation field officers have the sex offender sign a form that they aware of the terms and conduct checks throughout the evening. In addition, the program is something is done throughout the month of October, Nichols said.

"We want to ensure that children are not groomed or possibly put in a situation that could jeopardize their well being. We, Adult Probation, partners with Community Corrections to patrol where sex offenders live," Nichols said.

As for how vital the program is, Nichols said it is extremely vital, as the program aligns with how much the department values children.

"Over the years the program has been pretty uneventful which, to me, means we have been a successful deterrent to any offender who had ideas of using Halloween as a platform," Nichols said.