JACKSON, Ga. — Thousands of kids will hit the streets for trick or treat in just days.
In Butts County, Sheriff Gary Long said deputies in his county are putting preventative measures in place to keep kids safe. They have started placing ‘No Trick Or Treat’ yard signs in front of registered sex offenders homes in their county.
“This Halloween, my office has placed signs in front of every registered sex offender’s house to notify the public that it’s a house to avoid,” Long said in a Facebook post.
Could this effort to protect children put other families at risk? The warning feels like a target to some.
“There have been threats made. Hot heads saying just take a gun to their heads, it will solve it all,” said one Butts County mom, who didn’t want to be identified.
Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property. The signs have the universal “no” symbol over a trick or treat bag underneath the message “NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!”
“That poster that is causing that hysteria is posted at my property and I have not done anything wrong,” she said.
The woman said her husband is on the sex offender registry list for a relationship he had with an underage woman when he was 20 years old.
“There’s so many levels,” she said. “There’s such a gray area of this one did this, and this one did that, but yet they happen to be treated all the same.”
The idea to put yard signs in front of registered sex offenders homes came after organizers decided not to have an annual trick-or-treating event.
“The big challenge that we face here in Butts County, for years and years and years and years they’ve always done Halloween on the square and on Halloween night we would have anywhere from 2,500 to 4,000 children,” the sheriff told 11Alive
Vickie Henry, president of Women Against Registry, said the yard signs can lead to harassment.
“They are not the threat that people perceive them to be,” she said. “And those signs are just going to make things worse.”
There are more than 50 sex offenders in Butts County, according to Sheriff Long. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ website shows close to 31,500 registered sex offenders in the state.
“There are some sex offenders that are not happy,” Long said. “But I’m not in the business of making them happy. I’m in the business of keeping safe communities and making sure that our children are protected.”
There has NEVER been an abduction of a child by a sex offender on Halloween. This is a scare tactics at its finest.
Sheriff Long needs to keep in mind that he is responsible for keeping ALL the citizens safe, INCLUDING registered sex offenders. And his steps make it very UNSAFE for them.
I assume the sheriff is able to read and, therefore, can read all the studies that show most RSO are verrrrrry unlikely to reoffend.
Probably LESS likely than a sheriff abusing his power and trading on someone’s constitutional rights.
Is he a peace keeper? Or judge, jury and executioner/
Reporter Haddas Brown of WESH 2 news in Orlando reported during the 4 pm broadcast about the risk of sex offender’s on Halloween while promoting FDLEs new app. Would FAC inform the folks at WESH about the established fact that there is no emperical evidence linking sex offenses against children to Halloween? This may be helpful information sent to that news outlets for our cause given their misinformed reporting and promotion of FDLEs new app
If you are able to; post comments on their site. anything we send in will come in after Halloween and have no impact
I’ll do what I can. Maybe something more formal would help for next year. Of course, maybe not too. Thanks
So the Sheriff thinks his job was to protect the community, but his quite willing to make the exception of not protecting the families of registrants. And he justifies his actions by perpetuating myths and lies that people on the registry are dangerous. We all know that the studies and statistics show re-offense rate for people on the registry is less than 1% per year, in comparison to other crimes where the re-offense rate hovers around 40%. This Sheriff should look at and to be held accountable for the long-term consequences of his actions especially the consequences to the children of registrants who now have a target painted on their backs http://sosen.org/blog/2018/04/19/government-sanctioned-cruelty-to-over-half-a-million-american-children.html
It’s the same as the mentally of burning people at the stake, or the KKK. Please contact the ACLU!
I am not there, I am 1000 miles away and I feel terrible!
Wow ! I wish I was a rowdy teenager in that town. This situation is a PERFECT OPPORTUNITY to go around snatching the signs and put them on cop homes !
@ Hank those were the good days and that is a wonderful idea.If some Sex offender gets hurt or killed I hope they sue the town and that sheriff because he just painted targets on people and their homes I wish i can get facebook Why just one day of the year are you interested in a child’s welfare while deadbeat parents fail to make payments to the other’s spouse. what you doing the other 364 days?
Why don’t this human put one first into his yard and send a clear message that he doesn’t want any kids coming to his house 🏡 because he is a under cover one just like us the problem with him he doesn’t get like us humans yet but the United state clock ⏰ is working very slowly for sure
And of all the 31,500 sex offenders registered in the state are actually living there, just visited, or dead? I bet the numbers would drop like a stone if they kept the registry ACCURATE instead of creating undue hysteria.
And before someone construed what I said I’m not saying a 16 year should be able to choose who they have sex with I got arested for punching a 21 year old for picking up my 14 year old and would have at 16 I’m saying minors should receive the death penalty and a lot of times kids are bored life drags on for some and groups that are not goal oriented develop where if goals were set closer together at a younger age in my school example we’d probaily have a smarter more professional nation. I’m waisting my time I feel Happy Holloween everyone and remember people coming to damage your property are probaily just kids like we were once that are boosted up by the media and sheriff they probaily break registrants stuff now and paint their houses instead of pumpkin stomping.
meant to say shouldn’t receive the death penalty
When I was on probation, my probation officer forbade me to put any signs as such with good reason. To protect me from those who would take matters into their own hands because of the reactions these type of things trigger. All she asked was to turn off my lights to avoid any contact to my house. Reasonable.
Same here Jack. I still turn them off – post probation. I just don’t like people knocking on my door constantly asking for free stuff. Anyhow, I only get a bit nervous about vigilantes because of my family’s safety. So this night I’m more astute than any other night.
Well his job is to serve and protect; no? So when some someone decides to target these people and someone dies the registered or vigilante it’ll be another story for a day and forgot about tomorrow just like all these shootings and people will be left with heart ache and forever wondering what the heck went wrong. I really don’t know if the human body has the capability of caring about every death on the news, everyone taken advantage of we open ourselves with media to accept it all these days and the life around us is changed. I don’t believe SO should be identified nor on their IDs. You think your gonna get same treatment at a doctors office with that kinda mark? If the police want to know where you are they should have you privately register 1 time where you live and provide you with a monitor in your home and when I kid is missing it goes off and you touch your finger the screen same with phone. Not all would be capable to have it but they should offer a package. Either that or this or this which can you do??? That system would be 100 times better than they know where you live kids come up missing they have 31k houses to visit. As far a a teen having sex with a 20 year old I can think of a lot of worse things like shooting up with a another 16 year old cause the parents still don’t know where they are at right. It amazes me how you can die for a crime when your under age but you don’t have the capacity to to have sex. The whole school system needs to be redone nationally you have teens laying around for years that use drugs, join gangs, get fat, etc waiting to be an adult and can’t find a PT job. Why not end school at 8th grade get rid of all the bs common people don’t need to know then either you go to trade school, collage prep school 3 years learn all the stuff that was removed enter college early this would be good for those not ready for the real world or maybe want a professional job that doesn’t require a degree or 1 year finishing school where you learn life skills, employabiltlity, how to make a check, ECONOMICS. It would get the distractions out of the schools the laying around getting board and allow a lot of kids that want to grow up sooner enter the work place and start family instead of join a gang or lay around and make people less dependent later in life. You probably don’t wanna hear my 32 work week idea after this so I’ll cut out!
I dont understand why it’s ok to put children or other family at risk who may reside with a parent who is an RSO.
When you do: You are communicating that it is ok to bully, ostracize , isolate them too.
If anyone thinks that children or family of RSO’s dont read comments on news stories, FB posts etc. Or dont listen to rumors of said family RSO… I have news for you, they do!!!
It’s the definition of hypocrisy.
“I’m in the business of keeping safe communities and making sure that our children are protected.” No, you’re not.
This is so wrong at so many different levels.
1. The list of sexual offenders is not accurate. We know for sure that police can easily create sexual predators “of minors” by pretending to be catching “these predators that supposedly go after minors” on adult sites. Those people are obviously not true predators who target minors.
2. They are not just the homes of the registered sex offenders. Many of these people are married with children. Why are their families being punished and humiliated? Even worse, these families are being put at risk of harm.
3. There are unstable people who could harm someone because of this. (Remember, they’re not all true predators, and there is nothing on the list that distinguishes the real ones from the ones who are not true predators).
4. Who has ever heard of kids being targeted for sexual abuse on Halloween night because they went to a sexual predator’s home? (Most kids go trick or treating with adults or older kids)
5. Predators who target children will take their time grooming their victims. It’s highly unlikely that someone handing a kid candy on Halloween night could do this. Predators will target children they know.
6. Believing in the boogie man is old school. Stop teaching children that someone unknown is more likely to hurt them over someone they do know. Teach children the truth. The real boogie men are typically going to be the people children spend a lot of time around. There needs to be much more focus placed on that.
Registered sex offender lists definitely take away from this truth and distracts everybody from paying attention to what they should be paying more attention to. Pay attention to the people your children spend time with. Not doing this is what is putting children at high risk of sexual abuse.
Sheriff Long
If you want to do something that protects children put up signs that tell something truthful instead of perpetuating lies and bigotry and divisive conflict. Why show your ignorance in such a blatant way. Get the facts. Then do something about it.
This is just nasty. The only problems I have ever heard of on Halloween night is car/pedestrian accidents, and scumbags who put foreign objects in the treats. Even if a registered offender thought about assaulting a child (re-offense rates are extremely low) it would not happen in the crowded situation of multitudes of children trick-or-treating, especially when so many are accompanied by parents. Just another publicity stunt aimed at a nonexistent problem, which has the potential of inciting vigilantism.
Oops…the sign just burst into flames…I don’t know what happened. That’s never happened before.
Again, The Government creating a fear that ISN’T THERE !! That Sheriff or any other Sheriff CANT name one INCIDENT where a child was “Harmed By A Sex Offender” on Halloween !!!. This is just a “Scare Tatic” to “Fire Up The Public” again because now (most) People are starting to see that “The Registery” is a JOKE !! And SO MANY People are being added to The Registery on a DAILY BASIS that people are beginning to “Personally know people who are listed on The Registery” !! And they are realizing that (Most) people on The Registery aren’t “Evil Monster’s” out looking for a child to scoop up and harm !!. Sounds to me like this “Sheriff” is worried about the “Re-election” !!!! He’s desperate to “Make Himself look Good” to the public !! Only he’s hurting his self !!!. People are starting to realize that “ANYONE INCLUDING THEMSELVES” can end up on “The Registery” !!!. Fact is (According to the Laws) EVERYONE IS A SEX OFFENDER !! THEY JUST WEREN’T OR HAVEN’T BEEN CAUGHT (YET) !!!!. And before anyone says Different !!, Know this !! In ALL of the Southern States, Oral or Anal Sex is ILLEGAL !! Using the bathroom outside (even in the woods) is ILLEGAL !. And I could go even more “Technical” but I won’t !! Just know that 99% of the Adult Population (and Many Teens) have Committed a (if not many) Sex Crimes, That would/could get you “Listed on The Sex Offender Registery” !!. Yes there are BAD People that Deserve to be “On a List” because they harmed a Young Child !!. But The Registery has GONE CRAZY and doesn’t help or Stop ANYTHING from happening !! It’s a FALSE SENSE OF SAFETY !! That causes more HARM than Good !!!.
This sheriff is not only sipping the coolade, he’s gulping it. How can we let such a ‘knowledge-less’ individual have any authority at all much less the authority of a sheriff? I control what goes on my property and a sign of such would never be placed there. Sounds as though this sheriff fits the mold of the typical TV backwoods sheriff.
My answer, since this is not something mandated by state law then when the cops drive off take the sign, put it in the garbage and call your lawyer just in case. This is the kind of dumbass stuff that feeds an already violent society.
As I’ve put on other posts, I think it better to take a picture of the sign, call the GBI and state patrol and demand trespassing charges be pressed against the sheriff. Then look into a civil case against him for trespass under color of law (Long falsely claims OCGA 42-1-12(i)(5) gives him the authority).