News  Springfield and Worcester Superior Court Probation Officers Make Unannounced Visits to Homes of Sex Offenders Halloween Night

Operation Lights Out and Operation Watchdog, two Halloween public safety initiatives of the Massachusetts Probation Service, took place in the Springfield and Worcester areas Halloween night.

Hampden and Worcester Superior Court Probation Officers made home visits to more than 40 level 2 and 3 sex offenders to ensure that they were not opening their doors to trick-or-treaters.

The Probation Officers checked to make sure the level 2 and 3 sex offenders did not pass out candy, have porch lighting on or décor outside of their homes as to attract children to the door.

Hampden Superior Court Probation Officers made unannounced visits to the residences of 22 level 2 and level 3 sex offenders on Halloween night as part of the Probation-established “Operation Lights Out” initiative. Their goal was to enforce the court-ordered conditions of probation and to also ensure that sex offenders do not open their doors to trick-or-treaters.

The Hampden team of Probation Officers—John Sandillo, Timothy Powis, Kerry-Ann Crichton, and Roy Weldon—fanned out to Springfield, Holyoke, and West Springfield with PO Sandillo taking the lead. Rosa Maldonado-Brown, Hampden Superior Court Chief Probation Officer, also oversaw this annual effort.

During these visits, the Probation Officers—equipped with Supervision sheets including probationers’ criminal record information, conditions of probation and photos—verified offenders’ current addresses and confirmed that they were in compliance with their probation conditions as set by the court.

Worcester Superior Court Probation Officers and Worcester Police teamed up as part of “Operation Watchdog.”

The four Probation Officers—Katherine Diaz, Luis Aviles, Timothy Dupree, and Carlos Villamaris—visited 25 sex offenders in the Worcester area on Halloween night. The collaboration between Worcester Superior Court Probation Officers and Worcester Police was first launched 16 years ago in 2008. Worcester Superior Court Chief Probation Officer Raymond Loughlin managed this effort for Probation.