La Porte County, Ind. – This Halloween, parents are urged to check the list of registered sex offenders in their area before heading out to trick-or-treat.

The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to be proactive this Halloween season by using an on-line tool to search for registered sex offenders in the county through a website called OffenderWatch available through the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office website.

LA PORTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE URGES PARENTS TO CHECK SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY BEFORE TRICK-OR-TREATING

This Halloween season, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office is urging parents to use on-line tools to know the identity of registered... https://t.co/2WTARfMP1j

— La Porte County Sheriff's Office (@LCSO_PIO) October 16, 2018

At the site, you can search for offenders by clicking "Search for offenders in  your area."

Information can be obtained by entering the offender’s name or by searching for offenders near any address typed into the system.

La Porte County officials say there are approximately 173 registered sex offenders residing in La Porte County. Of these, 56 are sexually violent predators and 32 are classified as offenders against children.

“The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office does an excellent job of insuring that sex offenders reside where they have registered their home addresses so it is crucial that our citizens visit our website to learn who the registered sex offenders are in our community and where they live, ” said Sheriff Boyd. He adds, “A unique feature to this OffenderWatch system is the ability to enter an address of a neighborhood that you plan on visiting, before heading out for trick-or-treating, and determining the address that you plan to avoid. We urge the public to be proactive and utilize this free tool to help keep your children and family safer this Halloween season.”

Any questions or comments about the Sex and Violent Offender Registry can be forwarded to the Registry’s Coordinator at 219-879-3530 ext. 2320 or ext. 2561 for detectives.