Is That Legal?

It's mostly done to give parents peace-of-mind, not because of problems in past years, he said.

Several cities and states are approving such measures nationwide, despite lack of evidence that children are not at a greater risk on Halloween, according to some experts.

Classic risk-aversion panic.

They mention that there are 65 sex offenders in the area. Not 65 child sex offenders. Rapists and pedophiles, while both abhorrent, are not the same thing.

While I think it may be something of an overreaction (and the article itself admits that it's not based on scientific data), commmon sense would seem to suggest that there's at least somewhat more risk on a night when large numbers of children affirmatively approach strangers' homes, ring the doorbells, and engage in brief conversations. Even assuming that the children are supervised by their parents, and that nothing untoward would happen then, I can see how one might worry about the possible effect of such contact on offenders who very likely have at least some sort of psycho-sexual compulsion. So in some sense, this is a requirement designed to adapt the general "don't hang out in places where kids hang out" condition that I don't think anyone would object to as a probationary term to the unique social mores of Halloweeen.

All that being said, the point about general sex offenders vs. child sex offenders is well-taken.

Getting sex offenders off the streets is one option, sending them directly to jail is another. Yet, sadistic judges would give them a one way ticket to Siberia, Namibia or, even worse, Canada.

Sex offenders, let it be known! Patting a young girl's rear could get you to enjoy free medicare for the rest of your life. Fear the American justice!

Child sex offenders often commit crimes of opportunity.

It's good practice to provide adult supervision, travel in groups, and avoid entering a stranger's home, even "just for a minute." This is all common sense stuff that should not prevent having fun on Halloween.