TULSA, Okla. — There are hundreds of sex offenders in northeastern Oklahoma, many of whom are restricted from contact with children during Halloween.
"We'll go around but a lot of it will be passing out candy, too," Stephanie Madsen said, who plans to take her kids trick-or-treating Tuesday night in the South Boston neighborhood.
"Not really on my mind, because my kids are young enough that I'm still accompanying them. They're not quite at the age I can send them out on their own or just with friends. They're usually with a trusted adult," Madsen added, referring to checking local sex offender registries this Halloween, like many parents with kids walking without an adult are encouraged to do.
Karen Gilbert with Tulsa Crime Stoppers told 2 News in many cases these checks can be a big tool for a parent's comfort and a child's safety.
"If you haven't been out getting to know your neighbor lately, if you're worried about who's been moving into the neighborhood and you want to check…you can always go onto the Tulsa police website," Gilbert said.
The State of Oklahoma also provides a registry for each city, searchable by appearance, crime, or using a map.
"Halloween is a holiday that everybody wants to have a good time," Gilbert said. "So do that, but do it safely."
That's advice parents like Madsen said she always plans to use.
"There's enough adults that we know and trust that it's kind of a 'it takes a village'-type deal," Madsen said.
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