FLORIDA, USA — It is estimated that 72.4 million kids go trick-or-treating in the United States for Halloween, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
So, before trick-or-treaters in Florida start walking down the streets in their neighborhood or in an area unfamiliar, First Coast News is On Your Side with how you can check to see if there are sexual offenders and/or sexual predators living nearby to help you and others remain safe.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has a website and app that allow you to search if there are offenders or predators near you by doing an 'Offender Search' or 'Neighborhood Search.'
The Offender Search can be useful to check for a specific offender or predator you may have heard of that resides close by, as you can search for them by typing in their first and last name. By utilizing the Neighborhood Search, one can enter an address and select a radius from a quarter-mile to 5 miles, to then view a map or list of offenders and predators within the parameters you set.
If looking at Neighborhood Search results from the map view, you can click on the icon that appears on the map that will then have a pop-up window showing who the offender/predator is and their address; the icons look different and represent things such as if they're a transient offender, transient predator, sexual offender or sexual predator. If wanting to learn more information about the person, you can click on their picture on the pop-up window to see things like their age, criminal charges, vehicle information, etc. You can look at more information on the person from the list view, too, by clicking 'View Flyer.'
FDLE also has a 'University/Campus Search' feature on its website where you can enter and search the name of a university or college and campus to see offenders and predators.
To be alerted by FDLE by receiving an email on when a registered sexual offender or predator moves into your neighborhood, click here.
