AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Potter County Probation Officers conducted their Halloween sex offender patrol. The project is to ensure registered sex offenders do not welcome children to their homes for trick or treating.

Director for Potter, Randall and Armstrong Counties community supervision correction department Natalie White shared that the program is a dual opportunity that keeps the community safe and holds registered sex offenders accountable.

“We want to keep our community safe, we definitely want to keep kids safe,” said White. “So that’s a priority for our department. What can we do to help keep our community safe and this is a great project for us to be able to get out there in the field and do that.”

According to White, there are specific probation officers who supervise registered sex offenders. On Halloween, all probation officers are able to volunteer to patrol.

“We’ll be going out all areas of town and we will ensure that none of our individuals that are registered sex offenders or in sex offender treatment, are welcoming children to their home,” said White. “They’ve worked with their counselor and have already prepared to make sure that they can’t have Halloween decorations and they can’t have their porch lights on. We drive by multiple times throughout the evening to make sure that they comply with that.”

For parents who take their kids trick or treating, White said it is best to go in familiar areas and plan ahead.

“It’s just safer to stay in areas where you know, the people, you know, the neighborhoods,” said White. You can always get on the DPS sex offender website. They’ve got a registry for all registered sex offenders. So, you can look up any neighborhood and see which homes you know those sex offenders live in.”