Lights out for registered sex offenders this weekend. They’re forbidden from displaying Halloween decorations, keeping the porch light on, or handing out candy to neighborhood trick-or-treaters.
Police in Maryland, California, Texas, Long Island, Louisiana, Georgia, Indiana, and elsewhere will spend Halloween night ignoring the riotous hordes of drunks careening down streets and sidewalks, the gangs of teenage arsonists, and other seasonal threats in order to babysit former offenders. Of course, it’s worth it if it keeps our children out of danger.
But it doesn’t. Why? Because there is no evidence of a threat.
A comprehensive study released last year shows that when it comes to nonfamilial sex crimes against children, Halloween is just another day. “These findings raise questions about the wisdom of diverting law enforcement resources to attend to a problem that does not appear to exist,” conclude the researchers.
The real Halloween threat to kids? Getting hit by cars.
Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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