Sheriff Lists Sex Offenders’ No-Go Homes and Increases Patrols on Halloween’s ‘Operation Witch Way’

Some of these locations include four intersections along Palm Coast Parkway: at Florida Park Drive, Belle Terre Parkway, Cypress Point, and Old Kings Road.

“As always, safety is our number one priority,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “There will be more people on the roads traveling to Halloween activities and there will be children and parents walking through residential neighborhoods. Please drive slowly and watch for trick-or-treaters. Secure your pets before answering the door. If you plan to consume alcohol, make sure you have a sober driver. As always we would ask trick-or-treaters to be respectful and trick-or-treat early and end at a reasonable time.”

The sheriff’s office provided the following tips:

Treat-or-Treaters:

• Make sure your costume fits properly and that masks don’t obstruct your vision.
• Carry a flashlight or a glow stick.
• Never trick-or-treat alone.
• Only visit well-lit homes and always stay on the porch. Never enter the home.
• Look both ways before crossing the street and never run in the street.
• All candy should be inspected by an adult before eating.

Parents:

• Supervise children at all times.
• Inspect all candy before letting your kids (or you) eat it. When in doubt, throw it out.
• Speak with your child about an emergency plan in case of separation.
• Make sure your child knows their home phone number and address.
• Consider attending a trunk-or-treat or community event near you.

Drivers:

• Reduce your speed and watch for pedestrians.
• Use your headlights, even at dusk.
• Don’t let children ride unsecured in vehicles, even when driving from house to house.
• If you’re in costume, take off your head gear while driving.
• If you drink, do not drive.

Popular trick-or-treating areas will have an increased presence from the sheriff’s office. Sugar Mill Plantation and the Bellaire Drive-area of Palm Coast, in particular, are known to have heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic during Halloween. Sheriff’s Motor Units, Bicycle Units, and C.O.P. volunteers will be present to help with pedestrian traffic and any assistance needed. Lighted crosswalks will be operated by deputies in Sugar Mill Plantation in order to help pedestrians safely cross Old Kings Road. Pedestrians are urged to only cross at the lighted cross walks when possible.

Please note that Eagle Lakes in Flagler Beach is a private community and public parking is not allowed on vacant lots or in the road.  The Eagle Lakes Home Owners Association has issued passes to residents and authorized guests and will be controlling access to their community.

Going to a costume party?  Know that drunk driving patrol will be active and you should have a designated driver.  You don’t want to take a one-way ride in the sheriff’s taxi and end up wearing an orange costume.

In addition, sheriff’s deputies, along with Probation and Parole Services, have been making visits to the homes of all registered sex offenders since Monday and will continue to do so through Thursday to verify registered addresses and to ensure that those with provisions related to the holiday are following all rules and restrictions.

Of the 131 registered sexual offenders living in Flagler County, 28 have specific sanctions stating they cannot hand out candy, decorate for the holiday, or leave their porch light on during Halloween. These limitations are designed to protect children from potential threats from sexual offenders or predators. Deputies and probation officers will visit the homes of all 28 offenders with these sanctions on Halloween day to conduct a walkthrough of their residence and instruct them to not decorate their homes for Halloween, distribute candy, or otherwise participate in Halloween. These offenders must be in their home by 4:30 p.m. on Halloween day and remain inside for the rest of the night.

The operation will be managed by the sheriff’s new Sexual Offender and Predator Detective. This new position was funded by a $150,000.00 grant awarded to the department by the Department of Justice for 2019 in support of the Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program. This grant will be used to fund the dedicated sexual offender and predator detective to ensure compliance of offenders. In addition to visiting the 28 offenders with specific Halloween provisions, deputies are visiting all registered sexual offenders in the county as part of an address verification operation by the Florida Sheriff’s Association Task Force titled “Operation Hallowed Streets.” Deputies will take appropriate action on any offenders not in compliance.

Always remember, if you see something, say something. Any suspicious persons or incidents should be immediately reported to the Sheriff’s Office. For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 386-313-4911.

Below is a list of the 28 offenders that will be visited on Halloween day including their photographs, names, and addresses. The Sheriff’s Office urges you to avoid these addresses. You may also visit the Florida and National Sex Offender Database to check for sexual offenders that may be living near you or in neighborhoods that you plan to visit.