With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Halloween sex offender laws tested in Inland Empire
Candle-lit Halloween pumpkins.
(
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
)
Several new ordinances take effect tonight throughout the Inland Empire. They’re designed to block registered sex offenders from interacting with Halloween trick-or-treaters.
Temecula and Hemet are the latest cities to pass laws that forbid sex offenders from passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, or doing anything to entice kids to their front doors. San Jacinto and Orange adopted similar restrictions last year.
Riverside County passed its own ordinance earlier this month. It bars more than 4,000 sex crime registrants from a host of Halloween rituals. That includes a requirement to dim exterior ornamental lights at sunset. Supervisor Jeff Stone told KPCC earlier this month that he’s also asking parents to check out the state’s online sex offender registry known as “Megan’s List.”
“We also ask our public to go on the Megan’s website and look and see where they are going to be trick-or-treating with their kids to insure they know where sexual registrants live, and if they see lights on to please call 911 and we’ll get an officer out there and they will have their probation or parole violated and they’ll go back to jail with a thousand dollar fine," Stone said.
Sponsored message
County sheriff’s deputies will pay visits to many registered sex offenders, especially those convicted of assaulting children. State parole officers helped the county under the state Department of Corrections“Operation Boo” program. The uptick in enforcement coincides with national crime statistics that indicate no increase of assaults on kids by convicted sex offenders on Halloween.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
