In Johnson City, Tennessee, as Halloween approaches, the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) is gearing up for its annual Operation Blackout. This statewide initiative aims to bolster public safety and ensure the protection of children as they partake in trick-or-treating festivities.

On Halloween night, TDOC will focus its efforts on supervising over 500 high-profile sex offenders. These individuals will be prohibited from engaging in typical Halloween activities such as handing out candy, decorating their homes, or even turning on their porch lights, effectively reducing risks for children.

Chris Hansen, Assistant Commissioner of Community Supervision at TDOC, emphasized the department’s proactive role in ensuring community safety. “Our team is consistently active in the community, conducting house searches, walkthroughs, and frequent meetings with sex offenders,” Hansen explained. “Halloween presents unique challenges. It’s the one night where children are encouraged to approach strangers’ homes for candy, an action we advise against on any other day of the year.”

Operation Blackout prioritizes children’s safety during this vulnerable time, underscoring TDOC’s commitment to community welfare. Hansen noted the success of the operation, attributing a low rate of non-compliance to clear communication of the rules to offenders in advance.

Operation Blackout puts kids first on one of their most vulnerable days of the year, Hansen added.

Hansen said that since the rules for Operation Blackout are communicated with sex offenders ahead of time, there’s a very low non-compliance rate.

“Less than 5% [do not comply],” he said. “I think we might have arrested one or two last year. It’s very low because they know we’re out. They know we’re going to check on them. They know when we’re done, we might drive by again. We keep up constant monitoring.”

Hansen advises all parents to check the sex offenders list before heading out on Halloween to plan routes ahead of time.

“The registry is great,” he said. “It’s a good tool. I recommend that for every parent, even beyond Halloween, they should look at this when their kids go to sleepovers or other events when they’re away from parents. I always go back to the spidey sense. If the spidey sense goes, stay away. It’s just not worth it.”

Hansen also advises parents to remain aware and with their children at all times and avoid any house with no lights or decorations.