The Gazette-Enterprise

SEGUIN — Of all the worries a parent can have on Halloween night, where Guadalupe County’s registered sex offenders will be isn’t going to be one of them.

That’s because all of the county’s registered sex offenders now on probation have a Halloween “date” — with their probation officer and with a sheriff’s deputy who investigates sex crimes.

Sheriff’s Investigator Sgt. Craig Jones said Investigator Robert Perez and Guadalupe County Probation Officer Sandra Mileham would conduct the annual class this year.

Probationers are required as one of their conditions to attend meetings set by their probation officer, and several years ago, Mileham decided Halloween night would be a good evening to update registration information and conduct sex offender rehabilitative training — an idea Sheriff Arnold Zwicke thought was a pretty good one.

Usually, somewhere between 40 and 50 convicted sex offenders attend each year, Jones said.

“The thinking behind having them come in to the sheriff’s office is it’s a time when we know there are going to be an abundance of kids and their families out for Halloween night,” Jones said.

The probationers are afforded the opportunity to update their paperwork and also to participate in a class as required by their terms of probation.

“They’re under stringent conditions to report to their probation officer as directed,” Jones said. “In furtherance of their treatment, they complete four or five hours of training in a classroom setting.”

The training includes an update on the latest laws pertaining to treatment of sex offenders, their movements or registration requirements, and runs from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.

After that, sheriff’s deputies and local police officers will conduct spot checks to ensure probationers are where they are supposed to be.

Zwicke’s thinking is it doesn’t hurt parental peace of mind on the holiday that is a favorite night out for thousands of children to have tabs on those on probation for sex crimes or crimes involving children.

“The sheriff always has the taxpayers in mind,” Jones said. “This is one of those services where you get the best possible bang for the buck from an elected public official.”

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