NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – The Tennessee Department of Correction is taking measures to keep kids around the state safe this Halloween season.
Operation Blackout is the yearly, statewide sweep to make sure registered sex offenders follow strict guidelines leading up to and on Halloween. Hundreds of teams of TDOC officers work with local law enforcement to check up on more than 3,000 sex offenders between October 21 and November 1, including more than 1,100 visits on Halloween night.
This is in addition to daily supervision performed year round.
On Halloween, sex offenders must stay home from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., leave the porch lights off, must not open doors for trick-or-treaters, only open doors for law enforcement, not display fall decorations, not wear costumes, and not attend fall festivals or parties.
In 2016, TDOC conducted more than 3,000 checks during Operation Blackout, resulting in more than 400 violations.
