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Happy Halloween - Halloween may be one of the best nights of the year. As your mini-me transforms into their favorite cartoon character or spooky look, as a parent you can’t help but to worry about keeping trick or treating safe. How will you know if your child is trick or treating at a sexual predator’s home? BET.com takes a look at ways to keep trick or treaters safe from sex offenders. — Dominique Zonyéé(Photo: GettyImages) 

Photo By Photo: kali9/GettyImages

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California’s Controversial Predator Patrol - Until recently Orange, California, required registered sex offenders to post a sign outside for 24 hours on Halloween, no smaller than 12-by-24 inches, reading: “No candy or treats at this residence.”  However, the ordinance was repealed in September, less than a week after a federal lawsuit was filed claiming the practice was unconstitutional.(Photo: GettyImages) 

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Predators Exist - Although ways to ostracize predators on Halloween may be controversial, the fact of the matter is that they are still out there. Some states have more registered offenders than others. Florida, Delaware, Texas and South Carolina are among the top 10 states with the highest resident-to-predator ratio. To find out whether your home state is on the list, go here.(Photo: CriminalPages)

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Know Your Neighborhood - If you are taking your children trick or treating in your neighborhood, that’s cool. But what about a trick-or-treat playdate in a neighborhood that is less familiar? Parents can go to the FBI site here to locate sexual offenders near the radius of children’s Halloween fun zones.(Photo: Ryan McVay/GettyImages)

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Plan a Trick-or-Treat Route in Advance Together - While you are planning your tots costumes, start planning their trick-or-treat route as well. Pick a route that is well lit and does not have heavy car traffic. According to a 2012 report, from 1990 to 2010, more children were killed in pedestrian-car accidents on Oct. 31 than any other day.(Photo: Jupiterimages/GettyImages)

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Undercover Mother - Parents can also put on their investigative costumes. Be leery of other adults who make “inappropriate” comments about children, are out trick or treating without a child or someone they haven’t seen before. Police departments across the nation including Illinois, New Mexico and Florida are stepping up patrol and even knocking on offenders doors as safety precautions.(Photo: LWA/Dann Tardif/GettyImages)

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Children Know More Than You Think - Talk to your children about strangers and “good and bad touching.” Invoke conversations and environments for your children that will make them feel comfortable sharing any reality of a sexual predator. Check out more tips here.(Photo: Getty Images/Image Source)

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National Security - No matter what state you live in, the U.S. Department of Justice has a free registry for you, accessible online here. Parents can look up registered sex offenders by name or location. Family Watchdog is also a good site to check.(Photo: US Department of Justice)