Halloween 2017: How To Find Sex Offenders In Prospect Heights, Crown Heights And Prospect-Lefferts Gardens

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Before the kids go out trick or treating on Halloween, you may want to take inventory of who is living in the neighborhood.

According to the New York State Sex Offender Registry, there are 331 sex offenders living in and around the Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens area.

That number does not include offenders who are not compliant with the registry or are currently incarcerated. It does include some duplicates, people with aliases and, because the registry is broken down by zip code, some who live outside of the neighborhood boundaries.

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.

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 at Halloween than at any other time of the year.

Here's the breakdown of the numbers of registered sex offenders listed on the state registry in each of the four zip codes that encompass Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens:

To see specific names, addresses and information about crimes committed, click here to search the New York State Sex Offender Registry.

If you're going trick-or-treating in other parts of central Brooklyn, check out these other Patch Halloween sex offender safety maps:

Park Slope 2017 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill 2017 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

Windsor Terrace-Kensington 2017 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

Gowanus-Red Hook 2017 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

Ditmas Park-Flatbush 2017 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

Sunset Park 2017 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

SEE ALSO: Sex Offender Advocates Object To Mapping Of Registered Sex Criminals

(Image: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)