Sheriff Babb: Map sex offenders before kids’ trick or treat Thursday

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Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb wants residents to know where the county’s 34 active registered sex offenders live so parents can avoid those houses when kids are out for trick-or-treat activities this Halloween.

“We do the best we can in making sure sex offenders live where they tell us, so it is crucial that our citizens visit our website, fayettesheriff.org, to see who the registered sex offenders are and where they are living. Additionally, our deputies and investigators are going to be checking the residence of every registered sex offender on Halloween to verify that their information is current and they are complying with all applicable laws,” said Babb. “Citizens are encouraged to check any addresses where they or their family spend time. The mapping and address feature found on the website pinpoints exactly where an offender lives.”

Citizens will also find many other beneficial tools such as the ability to sign up for free automatic email notifications informing you if an offender moves within a specified radius of any address you register, Babb said.

“If you aren’t planning on trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, but will be in a family or friend’s neighborhood, register their address beforehand so you know which houses to avoid. You can register any and all of the addresses where your children spend a lot of time; for example friend’s, grandparent’s, or babysitter’s addresses” said Babb. “The alerts are in real-time and sent out via email as soon as a new offender has registered with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.”

Noting the benefit of registering for the free, confidential email alert service, Babb said, “It allows our office to monitor important addresses for you, thereby keeping you up to date of newly registered offenders and making it unnecessary for you to have to check your important addresses daily or even weekly”.

The website for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office is www.fayettesheriff.org. Citizens should click on the link “locate registered sex offenders” and follow the instructions to check their neighborhood and sign up to receive free email alerts.

Babb encouraged everyone to have a fun and safe Halloween. Knowing where the registered sex offenders reside in your area can help you make the best choices for safe and enjoyable Halloween activities, Babb said.