The Milwaukee County Sheriff's deputies arrested 12 registered sex offenders ahead of Halloween in its annual “Operation Trick or Treat” initiative.
The sheriff’s office in conjunction with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, U.S. Marshals and DA investigators were checking in on known sex offenders to ensure they comply with guidelines, including staying away from trick-or-treaters.
Law enforcement officials made 220 registered sex offender checks on Sunday during trick-or-treat hours and arrested those who were not in compliance.
“The annual initiative is effective and combines the resources of multiple law enforcement agencies to target offenders who, when given an opportunity, prey on the children in our community,” said acting Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt.
Of the 12 violations, three were for having children’s items in their homes. One was arrested for having contact with a 14-year-old. Another arrest was due to a weapons violation, and the remaining six were due to “electronics violations.”
