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Local law enforcement is holding sex offenders accountable to keep families and children safe, especially during the holidays. In October, the Clay County Sheriff's Office continued a program to ensure registered sex offenders did not interact with children during Halloween.
Nearly 500 sex offenders live within Clay County. When holidays like Halloween involve families out and about, Clay County Sheriff's public information officer explained it's up to deputies to make sure sex offenders are following the rules.
"[Sex offenders] are prohibited from after 5 p.m. from having their lights on, they're prohibited from handing out candy, they're prohibited from any Halloween contact with children," Sarah Boyd said. "We're checking to make sure that they're complying and doing what they're supposed to do."
Operation Lights Out started in 2023. This year, the sheriff's office saw a nearly 50% reduction in Halloween violations. Seven sex offenders out of the 460 left the porch light on, and one person was arrested for leaving a candy bowl out.
"They knew someone was watching them," Boyd said. "Last year, they didn't know that we would be checking on them."
KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne spoke with a few families in the neighborhood off camera. They explained they had no idea Operation Lights Out took place in 2024, but they were happy to know deputies were looking out for their kids.
"You don't hear about it a lot, the enforcement work [law enforcement] does," Boyd said. "It's very behind the scenes, this is one of the things they can do to get out and show the public we're really looking out for them. We really want to keep kids from interacting with people who could be a danger to them."
The program was especially important in 2024, as it was the first year of trick or treating after Missouri knocked down a statute requiring sex offenders to put a 'No Candy' sign out on Hallowen.
"There wasn't great compliance with [that rule] anyway, people would put up a tiny label that said 'No Candy' that nobody could even see," Boyd said.
Clay County leads the Operation Lights Out program, but it's a team effort with seven other police departments. Kansas City, Missouri, Gladstone, Kearney, Excelsior Springs, Smithville, North Kansas City and Liberty police departments helped with enforcement efforts.
"We're going to work within the community to make sure that [sex offenders] follow the rules and that protects everybody," Boyd said.
With two major holidays coming up, the Clay County Sheriff's Office plans to keep up the enforcement to protect kids year round.
"They know we're watching them," Boyd said. "The know that we're going to be holding them accountable to the requirements that they have to follow."
