Sex Offenders possibly to be Be banned from Participating in Holloween Festivities

**gee** · October 18th, 2011, 01:48 PM

Riverside County supervisors will consider a measure that would ban sex offenders from putting up Halloween decorations or handing out candy to children.

The urgency ordinance is on the agenda for the supervisors' Tuesday meeting. If passed, it will take effect immediately.

The measure would bar registered sex offenders from answering the door to trick-or-treating children or decorating their homes with Halloween decorations between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31 each year. Beyond that, they would be prohibited from leaving any external lights on between 5 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Halloween night.

Supervisor Jeff Stone, who introduced the ordinance, noted that the cities of Orange and San Jacinto already have similar measures in place.

The Murrieta Police Department has sent out yearly warnings to sex offenders convicted of crimes against children.

"To avoid any unnecessary allegations of impropriety with minors, I strongly suggest you protect yourself by voluntarily refraining from interacting with the children during the trick-or-treat holiday," the letter from Murrieta Police Chief Mark Wright said last year.

The city of Perris voted down a similar proposal after concerns about civil rights violations were raised.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...corations.html

**Athena** · October 18th, 2011, 02:00 PM

This is bullshit. If they're that untrustworthy... KEEP THEM IN PRISON. But denying them participation in a holiday? Is it just sex offenders convicted of crimes against children?

**biteme** · October 18th, 2011, 02:12 PM

Well if you can't live near a school year around, I don't see why you would be allowed access to children on holidays
What, children are RSO's special holiday gift. They don't keep them in prison no matter how dangerous, the parole boards just make sure they're released far, far away from their homes.
I don't care whether a rapist prefers adults or children I don't want either around my kids
They can enjoy the holiday shoving candy up each others ass

**gee** · October 18th, 2011, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Athena

This is bullshit. If they're that untrustworthy... KEEP THEM IN PRISON. But denying them participation in a holiday? Is it just sex offenders convicted of crimes against children?

"To avoid any unnecessary allegations of impropriety with minors, I strongly suggest you protect yourself by voluntarily refraining from interacting with the children during the trick-or-treat holiday," the letter from Murrieta Police Chief Mark Wright said last year.

It sounds like just RSOs with crimes against children.

My question is how would they enforce such a thing? Halloween is a fairly busy holiday for police now add on top of that they need to check out all RSOs and make sure the houses are not decorated or they are not luring kids into their homes with Candie and such.
If Parents are out with their kids while they are trick or treating how would a RSO do anything to your child if you are watching your children? I am not crying for the rights of these POS I am looking at the logistics of this.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 18th, 2011, 02:25 PM

I would think any parent that was worried about it would look up the addresses they might want to avoid. It's not like it's a secret.

Although, I would worry FAR more about the pedos that haven't been caught yet. They are probably a greater number, more dangerous, and frequently already in the kids life life before Halloween hits and long after.

You gotta love warm fuzzy rules that keep us safe.

**gee** · October 18th, 2011, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

I would think any parent that was worried about it would look up the addresses they might want to avoid. It's not like it's a secret.

Although, I would worry FAR more about the pedos that haven't been caught yet. They are probably a greater number, more dangerous, and frequently already in the kids life life before Halloween hits and long after.

You gotta love warm fuzzy rules that keep us safe.

Exactly @Dakota Valkyrie I don't have children but I damn well know who the RSOs are in my neighborhood.
I don't think Halloween rule will make any one any safer than any other day of the week.

**Obsolete** · October 18th, 2011, 02:37 PM

I don't care whether a rapist prefers adults or children I don't want either around my kids

The only way to keep kids away from sex offenders is to lock them (the kids) up until their 18. Just because someone isn't on a sex offender list somewhere doesn't mean they aren't an offender...just means they haven't been caught yet.

**biteme** · October 18th, 2011, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by Obsolete

The only way to keep kids away from sex offenders is to lock them (the kids) up until their 18. Just because someone isn't on a sex offender list somewhere doesn't mean they aren't an offender...just means they haven't been caught yet.

Law keeping sex offenders away may not help, but sure doesn't hurt
Any reason/law to arrest a sex offender I favor

**Obsolete** · October 18th, 2011, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

Law keeping sex offenders away may not help, but sure doesn't hurt
Any reason/law to arrest a sex offender I favor

I just don't see how this law will have any effect. Prohibiting them from opening their doors for a few hrs, one day out of the year isn't going to change anything. If they really wanted to be around kids they could just go for a walk during those hours.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 18th, 2011, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

Law keeping sex offenders away may not help, but sure doesn't hurt
Any reason/law to arrest a sex offender I favor

Making up laws to arrest people because you feel like it sounds a bit TSA-ish.

**Obsolete** · October 18th, 2011, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Making up laws to arrest people because you feel like it sounds a bit TSA-ish.

**gee** · October 18th, 2011, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Making up laws to arrest people because you feel like it sounds a bit TSA-ish.

Whoop There it is..... LMAO

**biteme** · October 18th, 2011, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Making up laws to arrest people because you feel like it sounds a bit TSA-ish.

Law already exists they can't be around children, giving them access on halloween is as stupid as TSA is incompetent
this law may not be necessary, but there is nothing wrong with it.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 18th, 2011, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

Law already exists they can't be around children, giving them access on halloween is as stupid as TSA is incompetent
this law may not be necessary, but there is nothing wrong with it.

There are TONS of things wrong with unnecessary laws. Anyone who's even been remotely caught up in red tape can attest to that. All this shit is is something designed to garner favor and votes.

Unless it is ordered at conviction, offenders can be around kids in many situations. The man who raped my granddaughter is constantly and legally around kids. He's court ordered away from her and her sister (but only until they're 18), but no other kids. He can even make his own victims legally. Which even more shows that the pedos are family and friends long before they are strangers passing out candy on halloween.

As a parent, I don't need a feel good silly ass law to protect my children from boogie men on Halloween night. I refuse to stick my head up my ass and pretend the government is protecting me with that kind of crap.

I'm sure just as many kids snatched on Halloween night by pervs taking time out from candy passing duty as before any sex offender laws existed.

**biteme** · October 18th, 2011, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

There are TONS of things wrong with unnecessary laws. Anyone who's even been remotely caught up in red tape can attest to that.

Unless it is ordered at conviction, offenders can be around kids in many situations. The man who raped my granddaughter is constantly and legally around kids. He's court ordered away from her and her sister (but only until they're 18), but no other kids. He can even make his own victims legally. Which even more shows that the pedos are family and friends long before they are strangers passing out candy on halloween.

As a parent, I don't need a feel good silly ass law to protect my children from boogie men on Halloween night. I refuse to stick my head up my ass and pretend the government is protecting me with that kind of crap.

I'm sure just as many kids snatched on Halloween night by pervs taking time out from candy passing duty as before any sex offender laws existed.

I stand corrected this law is necessary, if they catch one (1) RSO breaking the law they'll have done 100% better than TSA at finding terrorist, although they are amazing with lighters

http://studenttravel.about.com/od/pl...rtsecurity.htm
(now that the TSA has deduced that the agency was spending millions of dollars and manhours confiscating up to 39,000 lighters a day).

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 18th, 2011, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

I stand corrected this law is necessary, if they catch one (1) RSO breaking the law they'll have done 100% better than TSA at finding terrorist, although they are amazing with lighters

Catching someone handing out candy on Halloween is SO UBER IMPORTANT? That is the law we're talking about.

I would rather they spend their time and effort to catch the never-been-caught-before sex offender doing the nasty deed.

**biteme** · October 18th, 2011, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Catching someone handing out candy on Halloween is SO UBER IMPORTANT? That is the law we're talking about.

I would rather they spend their time and effort to catch the never-been-caught-before sex offender doing the nasty deed.

I see it more as giving an RSO the opportunity of making children comfortable around them, an unnecessary evil
As much as parents taking responsibility for their children, some do, some need help

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 18th, 2011, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

I see it more as giving an RSO the opportunity of making children comfortable around them, an unnecessary evil

Have you ever Trick or Treated with kids? They don't give a damn about the person handing out the candy - they just get it and dash off to the next house. And many times they knock on doors with no lights on anyway. It's my wedding anniversary and we always go out to eat until late because nothing stops a few from ringing the bell no matter how dark out home - and I do NOT like getting our celebration activities interrupted.

**biteme** · October 18th, 2011, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Have you ever Trick or Treated with kids? They don't give a damn about the person handing out the candy - they just get it and dash off to the next house. And many times they knock on doors with no lights on anyway. It's my wedding anniversary and we always go out to eat until late because nothing stops a few from ringing the bell no matter how dark out home - and I do NOT like getting our celebration activities interrupted.

Every kid I've ever known, knows exactly where they got the best candy and the coolest house, it's just an unnecessary evil having RSO's participate in an all child holiday

**Obsolete** · October 18th, 2011, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

Every kid I've ever known, knows exactly where they got the best candy and the coolest house, it's just an unnecessary evil having RSO's participate in an all child holiday

But they could still participate... they could walk up and down the streets while the kids are out, they could still visit the harvest festivals, corn mazes, and haunted houses. They could do everything except decorate and pass out candy

**Athena** · October 18th, 2011, 03:59 PM

Halloween is an inherently safe holiday. Kids and parents all over the place. I've never heard of an abduction of sex offense that has resulted from trick-or-treating. It's never happened. Communities that engage in this type of ridiculousness admit that it's preemptive. Trick-or-treating has been tradition for the better part of a century, yet we've got no record of an incident of this type resulting from it. So, I don't think "preemptive" is the right word. "Retarded" works, though.

**Obsolete** · October 18th, 2011, 04:04 PM

http://voice-of-reason.pbworks.com/f...0Halloween.pdf

In order to contextualize sex crimes against children
we examined over 5 million victimizations that took
place in 30 states on or around Halloween in 2005.
The most common types of crime from among the
incidents reported on Halloween and adjacent days
were theft (32%), destruction or vandalism of
property (21%), assault (19%) and burglary (9%).
Vandalism and property destruction accounted for a
greater proportion of crime around Halloween
compared to other days of the year (21% vs. 14% of
all reports). Sex crimes of all types accounted for
slightly over 1% of all Halloween crime. Non-familial
sex crimes against children age 12 and under
accounted for less than .2% of all Halloween crime
incidents.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 18th, 2011, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

Every kid I've ever known, knows exactly where they got the best candy and the coolest house, it's just an unnecessary evil having RSO's participate in an all child holiday

Might as well make a law that they can't own panel vans or have kittens, either. Don't forget candy the rest of the year, too. They should never be allowed to buy or make candy. And if their dog gets lost, they shouldn't be allowed to look for it.

**sugarfree irony** · October 18th, 2011, 05:02 PM

Why just Halloween ? What about Easter ? Those free egg hunts are probably crawling with sex offenders in bunny costumes . I think this is the work of an anti-Halloween cult

.

**biteme** · October 18th, 2011, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Might as well make a law that they can't own panel vans or have kittens, either. Don't forget candy the rest of the year, too. They should never be allowed to buy or make candy. And if their dog gets lost, they shouldn't be allowed to look for it.

Should just keep RSOs in a panel truck, I wouldn't trust them around a puppy

**Obsolete** · October 18th, 2011, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

Should just keep RSOs in a panel truck, I wouldn't trust them around a puppy

Some RSO's prefer puppies :)

**Kindly One** · October 18th, 2011, 08:40 PM

Hmm. Out of curiosity, do puppies qualify you for RSO status? Or do your victims have to be human?

**biteme** · October 21st, 2011, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Obsolete

http://voice-of-reason.pbworks.com/f...0Halloween.pdf

So because there is so much vandalism 32% which means nothing unless you know 32% of total, that it dwarfs sex crimes of children under 12 years of age you're OK with that
You understand 0.02% of child sex crimes could be thousands when you consider how much vandalism goes on Halloween night

**Dakota Valkyrie** · October 21st, 2011, 01:04 PM

Fron the study that Obsolete linked to:

Sexual molesters sometimes use seemingly innocent opportunities to engage children for sexual abuse and therefore might be expected to use trick-or-treat for ulterior purposes. However, this logic does not appear to translate into an increase in sex offenses around Halloween. The absence of a Halloween effect remained constant over the nine year period, beginning well before the current interest in Halloween sex offender policies and extending to recent years. Any Halloween policies that have been adopted by reporting jurisdictions during that period appear not to have impacted the overall sex offense rate.

Halloween was also typical of other days in terms of victim and offender characteristics, the types of child sex offenses reported, and the categories of victim-offender relationships involved. Children are sexually abused on Halloween, just not at higher than expected rates for any other autumn day. Reasonable parental supervision and vigilance on Halloween is appropriate, but there does not appear to be cause for alarm concerning sexual abuse risk in particular. Increased vigilance concerning risk should be directed to the summer months, where regular seasonal increases in sex crimes are readily seen.

Other risks to children are more salient on Halloween. According to the Center for Disease Control, children ages 5 to 14 are four times more likely to be killed by a pedestrian/motor-vehicle accident on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Regarding criminal activity on Halloween, theft and vandalism are particularly common. Sex crimes against children by non- family members account for two out of every thousand Halloween crimes, calling into question the justification for diverting law enforcement resources on that day away from more prevalent public safety concerns.

**Obsolete** · October 21st, 2011, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by biteme

So because there is so much vandalism 32% which means nothing unless you know 32% of total, that it dwarfs sex crimes of children under 12 years of age you're OK with that
You understand 0.02% of child sex crimes could be thousands when you consider how much vandalism goes on Halloween night

Don't do that. You know damn well I'm not ok with crimes of any kind against children. If you read the rest of that report it also states that sex crimes against children aren't any higher on Halloween than any other day, so why shoud we bother with this law? Children should be protected every day, they are always at risk and cracking down on pedo's one day a year isn't going to change that.

Halloween was also typical of other days in terms of victim and offender characteristics, the types of child sex offenses reported, and the categories of victim-offender relationships involved. Children are sexually abused on Halloween, just not at higher than expected rates for any other autumn day. Reasonable parental supervision and vigilance on Halloween is appropriate, but there does not appear to be cause for alarm concerning sexual abuse risk in particular. Increased vigilance concerning risk should be directed to the summer months, where regular seasonal increases in sex crimes are readily seen.

More kids are assaulted during the summer months, why not direct our attention there? Maybe convicted child molesters should be banned from public swimming pools except during adult only hours? A sex offender has a better chance of assaulting a child in a crowded pool than he/she does answering a door on Halloween.