OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) – Before sending your tiny monster or pretty princess door to door for candy this Halloween, parents can check if their Florida neighborhoods are safe.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Sex Offender and Predator database lets anyone search for offenders living nearby with a zip code or address. The database allows for a 1/4-mile to 5-mile radius.
Steps to follow to search for offenders:
- Go to the FDLE Database website listed above
- Type in your address, or an address you will be trick-or-treating around
- Select distance range (1/4-mile, 1/2-mile, 1-mile, 2-mile, 3-mile, 4-mile, 5-mile)
- Submit the search to see results
- The map reveals homes or icons that can be hovered over to show more information about each offender or predator
- A list view is also available with the distance from the entered address and the FDLE profile
- The profiles can be downloaded and printed, there is also an option to track offenders through the site.
There is an FDLE mobile app for apple and android devices. The app can alert homeowners and residents when a sex offender or predator moves into the area.
In Northwest Florida, county agencies are issuing safety tips for Halloween trick-or-treaters. We have searched each county in the FDLE Database for the latest information.
Okaloosa County- 461 registered offenders and predators (368 listed on FDLE)
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said they do not have specific rules in place for offenders or predators when it comes to Halloween.
Santa Rosa County- 378 registered offenders
Escambia County- 1,035 registered offenders
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said they do not have any specific rules for registered offenders and predators when it comes to Halloween.
FDLE does not have a blanket rule for Halloween participation and registered offenders. The agency does put restrictions in place for certain registered offenders based on their release status that is passed on to the specific County Sheriff’s Office.
If the information on the FDLE database seems inaccurate, updates can be emailed to sexpred@fdle.state.fl.us.
