TIFTON — Halloween is Wednesday and many trick-or-treaters will be out and about in the Tifton community. Therefore, local law enforcement would like to remind children and their parents of some Halloween safety tips for that night.

Also, Maj. Bobby Brannen at the Tift County Sheriff’s Office provided The Gazette with a list of registered sex offenders, along with their addresses and charges, to notify the public that these individuals are out in the community and their children should avoid those addresses while trick or treating.

Brannen said there are currently 58 active sex offenders in Tift County, which means they’re either on the registry and live in Tift County, or they’re employed in Tift County but reside in another county. He noted that a dozen of these registered sex offenders’ state of conviction was in a state other than Georgia.

Brannen said the list changes regularly due to various reasons. He stated that the list of sex offenders was recently up to a high of 64, but some have moved out of the county or changed their job and no longer work in Tift County. The list was as low as in the mid-40s about two or two and a half years ago.

Also, he wants to make the public aware of the local sheriff’s office having a feature in their sex offender management system where citizens can register their e-mail address and receive e-mail alerts when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood within a distance of up to two miles.

“It’s a useful community notification tool,” Brannen stated.

Citizens can register by going to www.tiftsheriff.net/TCSO. Brannen said this system, OffenderWatch, was set up about three years ago by Watch Systems out of Covington, La. The website includes people who have been arrested and convicted of various sex crimes that gets them on the registry.

“We want to get the word out that we have this website available,” he stated. “It’s good information, and it let’s people know who is in their neighborhood.”

Currently, only 78 people have registered to receive the e-mail alerts, Brannen noted. He said 27 of the 78 registered just this calendar year. He added that approximately 1,040 total e-mail alerts have been sent out since the software was set up three years ago.

Brannen said when a terrible crime occurs, there tends to be an increase in people registering their e-mail addresses.

“It’s kind of like we become more aware,” he stated.

He said parents need to be aware of the people who their children come in contact with, who they may not know about.

“We want to caution parents this time of year,” Brannen stated.

He also added that he sends out personal e-mails to local schools when a registered sex offender moves from one place to another in town. He noted that according to a sex offender’s date of offense, depends on their restrictions of where to live (O.C.G.A 42-1-12, 42-1-15, 42-1-16).

Brannen said a PowerPoint with all of the registered sex offenders in Tift County runs in the TCSO’s lobby, the local courthouse and administration building. He noted that this is more cost effective. Also, a hard copy is  posted in the city halls of Tifton, Ty Ty and Omega, as well as at the Tifton Police Department.

In addition, Brannen said by going to the same website to view the registered sex offenders, citizens also have the option to view information on persons that are incarcerated in their facility — Tift County Inmate Information Center.

This system was provided by software vendor Eagle Advantage Solutions out of Carrollton. Brannen said this system has been in place for about a month.

He stated that the system shows the inmate by name, inmate number, address, location within their facility, charges, book date and time, visitation schedule, the arresting agency and a photo of the inmate.

“Citizens can receive valuable information from the site, and those who wish to visit an inmate can check his or her location, then look at the visitation schedule,” Brannen said.

He also noted that Eagle Advantage Solutions provided the inmate website at no cost.

“The good thing about it is that it’s free,” he said.

Brannen stated that the information is up-to-date, and it can be useful to employers and could have a deterrent effect on young people.

Currently, there are 196 housed inmates in Tift County, but only 183 inmates are actually in the local facility due to some of them being on work detail or they’re being housed in another facility.

Halloween safety tips provided by the TPD and TCSO:

• Never allow children to go trick-or-treating alone. A parent or a responsible adult should always accompany children ages 12 and under when they go out.

• Choose the houses you visit carefully. Only go to houses where the light is on and never enter a house for candy. Teach your children to never enter any home without you or without your permission.

• Check the local law enforcement agencies’ websites for registered offenders residing in the area.

• Remind your children to stay in well-lit areas, never take shortcuts and never go into isolated areas.

• Let your children know to tell you or a trusted adult if they see anything weird or unusual.

• Make sure their costumes are safe. Select outfits made of fire-retardant materials and trimmed in reflective tape. This allows drivers to easily spot children in the dark.

• Be sure that masks do not restrict their vision. Use face paint instead of masks, since it won’t obstruct a child’s view or air passages like some masks can.

• Children and adults should carry a flashlight or glowstick so that motorists can see them.

• Children should walk on the sidewalks or grass, not on the street.

• Children should cross the street at the corners. They should never cross the street between parked cars, in the middle of the block or diagonally across the intersection.

• Keep pets inside your home or in some other safe place on Halloween night.

• Kids wearing costumes should be careful around their pets and other pets; they may not recognize them in their costumes.

• Remind children not to stray from their group or from the planned route. Children over the age of 12 who are responsible enough to go without you should stay in groups, follow an agreed-upon route and watch for cars.

• Teach children to bring treats home before eating them. Eat only factory-wrapped treats unless you know the giver well.

• Teach your children to say “no” and “get away” from any person or situation making them feel scared, uncomfortable or confused; even if it means yelling, kicking, attracting attention or any other means of resisting. Trust their feelings and be sure to tell a trusted adult.

• Consider parties at home, schools or community-organized events as a safe alternative to trick or treating.

The following is a list of active sex offenders:

• John Olis Bacon II, 43, 615 Chesnutt Ave.

- convicted of three counts of sodomy and child molestation

• Antonio Terrell Bentley, 28, 1446 Prince Ave.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Aren Wilbur Bentley, 36, 814 1/2 Goff St.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Mondell Enre Brooks, 34, 1203 Goff St.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Kameron Rayshun Burns, 29, 39 Cedar Ridge Road

- convicted of child molestation

• Chandell Orton Butler, 36, 19 River Run Road

- convicted of other crime

• David Leroy Calhoun, 67, 1110 S. Central Ave.

- convicted of criminal sexual abuse/victim 9-16

• William Richard Castleberry, 44, 344 Ellis Bryan Road

- convicted of child molestation

• Clayton Clark, 46, 2915 S. Central Ave., Apt. 1-D

- convicted of child molestation

• Edgar Odell Cole III, 38, 192 S. Church St., Ty Ty

- convicted of statutory rape and two counts of failure to register (change)

• Donnell C. Collins, 54, 607 Sunset Drive

- convicted of child molestation

• Edward Raleigh Combs, 48, 4880 Highway 125 N.

- convicted of first degree sexual abuse

• Willie James Cooper Jr., 39, 311 First St., Sparks

- convicted of child molestation

• James Oliver Darden Jr., 41, 1446 Prince Ave.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Corey Lavon Davis, 30, address unknown/active warrant

- convicted of child molestation

• Desmond Lee Denson, 28, 75 Palmetta Road, Lot 18

- convicted of child molestation

• Bobby Dunlap, 35, 230 Henry Road, Sylvester

- convicted of sexual exploitation of children

• Darrell Durr, 48, 89 Gallie Lissmore Road, Adel

- convicted of rape

• Curtis Eady, 58, 117 Pine St.

- convicted of child molestation

• Lamarr Tracy Eberhardt, 53, 309 W. Seventh St., Room 122

- convicted of lewd or lascivious battery on a child 12-15 years of age

• Ernest Lee Ewings, 31, 814 W. 16th St.

- convicted of statutory rape

• David Scott Giddens, 47, 4055 U.S. Highway 319 S.

- convicted of child molestation

• Oscar Lee Green, 55, 718 17 1/2 St.

- convicted of child molestation

• Robert Lee Green, 34, 807 Madison Ave.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Richard Grover, 42, 404 Hickory Drive

- convicted of rape

• Xavier Lacharles Howard, 33, 206 E. 17th St.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Lewis Clinton Howell, 58, 25 Sherri Lane

- convicted of child molestation

• John Henry Jackson Jr., 37, 2715 S. Ridge Ave.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Jeffrey Allen King, 44, 553 Rigdon Aultman Road

- convicted of sexual assault in the second degree and sexual assault in the third degree

• John Wesley Lassiter Jr., 74, 80-A Horeshoe Circle

- convicted of rape

• Jarvis Lashawn Lindsey, 24, 4562 Highway 82 W., Ty Ty

- convicted of statutory rape

• Michael John McDowell, 45, 412 Belmont Ave.

- convicted of sex offender unlawful sexual conduct against a child

• John Sonny McGill, 39, 480 Highway 319 N.

- convicted of child molestation

• James Robert McLean, 26, 640 Tift-Worth County Line Road, Lot 2

- convicted of statutory rape

• Antonio Demetrius Myers, 40, 1301 Crescent Drive, Apt. C-1

- convicted of child molestation

• Tommie Alvin Ogletree, 65, 77 Little River Road

- convicted of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree (relationship) and criminal sexual conduct in the third degree (person 13-15)

• Aaron Mitchell Parks, 32, 1477 Ty Ty-Sparks Road

- convicted of child molestation

• Josh Marceni Patrick, 32, 16 River Run Road

- convicted of statutory rape

• Tony James Powell, 50, 38 Ira Drive

- convicted of child molestation

• Christopher Spencer Revill, 39, 3115 Hill Ave., Lot 1

- convicted of rape

• Howard Richardson, 62, 509 Washington St.

- convicted of aggravated sodomy and rape

• Michael Jermaine Scott, 24, 707 Short St.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Christopher Alexander Smith, 37, 826 Armour Road

- convicted of sexual battery

• Kenneth Howard Smith, 45, 412 Henry Weeks Road, Norman Park

- convicted of child molestation

• William David Smith, 54, 222 Belmont Ave.

- convicted of aggravated child molestation

• Elliott Mark Spence, 46, 1022 W. Second St., Room 206

- convicted of child molestation

• James Clinton Stevens, 51, 112 Shorter St., Ty Ty

- convicted of lewd or lascivious on a child under 16 years of age

• Reginald Lamar Tabor, 42, 715 Collins St.

- convicted of rape

• Timothy Deshun Thorpe, 30, 1914 Bell St.

- convicted of statutory rape

• Mickey Dewayne Tuggle, age not given, 1185 1/2 Browning Road, Adel

- convicted of statutory rape

• Victor E. Uhlig, 28, 230 Broad St., Lenox

- convicted of statutory rape

• Jimmy Lee Walden, 72, 706-A S. Ridge Ave.

- convicted of lewd or lascivious on a child under 16 years of age

• Terry Lee Walker, 48, 605 W. 21st St.

- convicted of rape

• Benny Lee Watson, 58, absconded, Georgia

- convicted of lewd or lascivious on a child under 16 years of age

• Edward Charles Watson, 59, 209 Peach Ave., Sylvester

- convicted of attempted sexual battery and lewd or lascivious on a child under 16 years of age

• Ned Webster, 51, 1514 Georgia Ave., Omega

- convicted of child molestation

• Melvin Carlton Wheeler, 43, 2005 E. Pinetree Blvd., Apt. G-3, Thomasville

- convicted of sexual assault against persons in custody; sexual assault against person detained or in hospital

• Jeremy Dewayne Williams, 22, 301 S. College Ave.

- convicted of child molestation and aggravated sexual battery