Rockland Again Takes Steps to Further Restrict Sex Offenders in Nyack on Halloween

NYACK, NY – On Halloween weekend, Rockland County will again enforce its rules keeping registered sex offenders from coming into contact with the community's children.

Halloween and the night before are a time when children are out and about often after dark and sometimes interacting with people they don't know well, officials point out. So, the County Probation Department wants residents to know that special measures are put into place every year before Halloween.

Rockland County supervises 67 offenders who have been convicted of sexually motivated crimes.

Many, but not all, involved crimes that require them to be listed on the sex offender registry, according to Kathleen Tower-Bernstein, director of the Rockland County Department of Probation.

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"We have special measures in place for both Gate Night, the night before Halloween, and on Halloween to restrict sex offenders," she said.

The county has enforced special rules for Halloween for more than 10 years, according to Tower-Bernstein.
All sex offenders followed by the probation departments are given a contract for those two days, Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, that includes curfews. They are also prohibited from engaging in any Halloween-related activities, including opening doors for trick-or-treaters or accompanying children to trick-or-treat.

Probation officers, in conjunction with the Rockland County Sheriff's Department, will be conducting compliance checks.

"Anyone found to be in violation of their contract will be returned to court for further action," Tower-Bernstein said.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day reminds parents that they should supervise their children and also teach them how to be aware of potentially dangerous situations.

"We want kids to have fun on Halloween, which can happen as long as parents and children use common sense," he said. "Our probation and law enforcement officers are doing their part to minimize the risks."

Information regarding sex offenders is available at through the office of the Rockland Sheriff or here on the New York State Sex Offender Registry.