Halloween 2017: How to See If Sex Offenders Live In Your NYC Neighborhood

NEW YORK CITY — Before the kids go out trick or treating on Halloween, it is a good time to take inventory of who is living in your neighborhood and your city.

There are 8,716 sex offenders living in New York City's five counties as of October 2017, according to the New York Sex Offender Registry. That number includes some names that are listed more than once and people who are also registered under aliases. It does not include anyone who is not compliant with the registry, is currently incarcerated or is in custody.

The state Division of Criminal Justice Services is responsible for maintaining New York's Sex Offender Registry, which anyone can search to learn how many sex offenders live nearby. The DCJS updates information regularly, but information can change quickly. Information is often provided by offenders themselves as required by law.

There are three levels of sex offenders — Level 1 (low risk of re-offense), Level 2 (medium risk of re-offense) and Level 3 (high risk of re-offense). A judge determines an offender's risk level after a court hearing. The law requires only Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders to be listed on the public directory.

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The state's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision requires that sex offenders stay inside their homes during trick-or-treating hours on Halloween. They cannot wear costumes or open their doors to hand out candy. Parole officers visit registered sex offenders' homes to ensure they're following these rules.

More than half of rape and sexual assault incidents happen within a mile of the victim’s home, according to the United States Department of Justice. About 75 percent of victims know their attacker and 45 percent of victims are under 12 years old.

In a letter to Patch, the directors of the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws cited data showing that children are at no greater risk of sexual abuse than at any other time of the year.

Here's a breakdown of the numbers of sex offenders listed on the state registry in each borough. The numbers below include duplicated names and aliases, but not offenders who are not compliant with the registry, incarcerated or in custody.

Manhattan (New York County)
1,758

Brooklyn (Kings County)
2,399

Queens (Queens County)
1,545

The Bronx (Bronx County)
2,626

Staten Island (Richmond County)
388

Search the New York State Sex Offender Registry by ZIP code to find out who lives in your neighborhood.

(Lead image via Patch)