Thursday will mark 26 years of “Operation Boo”, an effort to keep children safe from sex offenders on Halloween night.
Law enforcement will work with the Department of Corrections to conduct compliance checks on offenders in the San Luis Obispo area.
On Halloween, a temporary Special Condition of Parole is imposed. Offenders are prohibited from leaving their residence between the hours of 5 p.m. October 31 and 5 a.m. November 1. Transients must remain located at their camp location.
The Division of Parole Operations follows the GPS monitoring of the offenders, checking if they are in compliance with the conditions.
Offenders are not allowed to answer the door should any trick-or-treaters call. All exterior lights must remain off during the instructed hours. They cannot possess or distribute quantities of candy that may be used for participating in Halloween celebration. They are also not allowed to wear or possess any costumes. Decorations are also prohibited.
Some of the offenders are homeless, living in hotel rooms, or out of their vehicles.
Last year, 90 sex offenders were on parole throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
The U.S. Department of Justice says most sex-abuse against kids is committed by people they know and trust. Thirty percent of all child molesters are the children’s own family members. About 60 percent aren’t family members — but they are known to the child. They’re family friends, babysitters, child care providers, or neighbors. Roughly 10 percent of molestation cases involve strangers abducting and abusing children.
