Tax Dollar Waste on Halloween Restrictions

LAKE MONROE, FLORIDA – October 31, 2015

Once again, during this Halloween season, city and county law enforcement officials wasted both their time and public tax dollars on the perpetuated hoax that Halloween is a time that those on the sex offender registry need various restrictions in order to keep children safe.

A huge expenditure of public tax dollars are needlessly squandered on a problem that has no evidence of its existence.  Children are far more likely to be harmed by automobiles than by a personal attack.  Statistics show that no spike in assaults or abductions of children occur during trick or treating in any of the states of the U.S, Florida included.

However, the state insists on continuing the use of restrictions and ordinances in order to perpetuate the mere illusion and sense of security. This is one of the many myths that serve to preserve sex offender laws in tact. This is a waste not only of tax dollars, but human potential for those on the registry that are low risk and have never committed a hands on offense! Such unfounded myths continue to provide opportunities for legislators to frighten the public into agreeing to any proposed legislation regarding sex offenses.

A question needs to be asked:  How much safer would our children be if deputies and probation officers were not having to spend unnecessary time visiting homes on Halloween to see if a pumpkin is placed at the door?  How much more effective would it be if law enforcement officers were available to circulate throughout communities to encourage safe driving rather than working overtime at tax payer expense with needless monitoring?  The mantra so often used by those making policies and laws is, “If it saves just one child”!  This is a VERY low bar!  What needs to happen to positively impact public safety is to make policies based on sound data that will impact families where upwards of 95% of sexual abuse occurs.  By providing services that can prevent the cycle of abuse the safety of children can be greatly enhanced.  Attention needs to be shifted where an actual problem in safety occurs and a higher number of children can be protected. We can begin here in Florida by reducing funding for monitoring low risk registrants and appropriately increasing funding for the Department of Children’s Services.

Florida Action Committee (FAC) Founded in 2006 as a non-profit advocacy group, is a state-wide consortium of concerned citizens and professionals whose purpose is to promote the prevention of sexual abuse while preserving the safety and dignity of all citizens through carefully structured laws targeting the truly violent, forced, and/or dangerous predatory acts of sex. FAC believes that many aspects of the current approach to sex offenders seriously undermine justice and actually increase the threat of sexual assault against others, particularly children. FAC opposes a publicized registry of sex offenders and seeks to bring an end to the humiliation of people who have already paid for their crimes. FAC asserts that only by supporting justice for all people — offenders and victims alike  — can a truly safe society be built and secured for all Americans. For more information, visit floridaactioncommittee.org.