(A) Definition. HALLOWEEN SOLICITATION shall mean seeking or obtaining gifts, food, candy or contributions of money, as is customarily and commonly known as “trick or treat”, in the celebration of Halloween day.
(B) Masks or disguises, trick or treat visitations and Halloween curfew.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person over 12 years of age to appear in or upon any of the streets, highways, alleys, public parks or other places of the city in any mask or disguise whereby the identity of such person is concealed, without permission of the Mayor or Chief of Police on days other than Halloween.
(2) (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to appear on the streets, highways, public homes, private homes or public places in the city to make trick or treat visitations; except that, this section shall not apply to children who attend any public, private, parochial school or equivalent to include home schooled student(s) in the eighth grade and under on Halloween night.
(b) Special needs students are exempted from the restrictions of this provision when accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible person.
(3) A special time limit “curfew” for all Halloween solicitation “trick or treat” activities is hereby established to limit such solicitations between 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
(4) Nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting any parent, guardian or other responsible person, having lawfully in his or her custody a child who attends any public, private, parochial school or equivalent to include home schooled student(s) in the eighth grade and under from accompanying such child who is participating in Halloween solicitation “trick or treat” for the purpose of caring for, looking after or protecting such child.
(5) Nothing herein shall be deemed to prohibit the gathering and participation of children in a Halloween parade or costume contest, or other Halloween celebrations or activities sponsored by the city, schools or other civic, social, religious or service clubs.
(C) Sex offender prohibition.
(1) (a) An individual who has been convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication for a sexual offense involving a person under 17 years of age for which the individual is required to register as a sex offender under the state’s Sex Offender Registered Act, as amended (730 ILCS 150/1 et seq.).
(b) It shall be unlawful for any designated sex offender, under the state’s Sex Offender Registered Act, as amended (730 ILCS 150/1 et seq.), to participate in any Halloween events involving a person under 17 years of age, such as distributing candy or other items to children on Halloween. No candy or treats shall be distributed at the sex offender’s place of residence and all outside residential lighting shall be turned off between 4:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
(2) Halloween events in which the designated sex offender is the parent or guardian of the children involved, and no non-familiar children are present, are exempt from this prohibition.
(1960 Code, § 30-1-47) (Ord. 7199, passed 10-20-2008) Penalty, see § 130.99