(Meredith) – Deputies in Georgia have posted “no trick-or-treat” signs in the yards of registered sex offenders as an extra precaution to keep children safe this Halloween.
Butts County Sheriff Gary Long posted a photo of the sign to Facebook on Saturday and wrote that “there is nothing more important to me than the safety of our children.”
The signs include bold letters, stop sign graphics and a straight-forward message: “WARNING! NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!”
Long told CBS News there are 54 registered sex offenders in Butts County, which is about 45 miles southeast of Atlanta.
Though he’s received mostly positive feedback from parents in the community, Long said some of the sex offenders emailed him saying the signs were an “embarrassment.”
“At the end of the day, I don’t care if they do like it or if they don’t like it. My job us to ensure the safety of the children and the community and that’s what I’m going to do,” Long told CBS News.
The sheriff wrote on Facebook that the signs were placed in accordance with Georgia Law O.C.G.A. 42-1-12-i(5).
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations website, the law states, “The sheriff’s office in each county shall: Inform the public of the presence of sexual offenders in each community.”
Georgia state law also prohibits sex offenders from decorating their property on Halloween.
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