Officials in Detroit and Flint will turn to volunteers this weekend to help discourage Halloween-related arson fires.
Dozens of volunteers are expected to patrol their neighborhoods and man police mini-stations during the weekend.
Tanya Meeks is the Flint Police Department’s community liaison officer. She says having extra eyes on the street help.
"Every year we always have residents who will step up and say ‘Hey, I’m going to watch this area.’ ‘I’ll be out tonight.’ ‘I’ll be out tomorrow night, and I’ll be patrolling this area.’ So, we always have a good response during the Halloween season," says Meeks.
Detroit saw an increase in the number of arson fires during the Halloween period last year. This year, the Detroit Fire Department plans to step up patrols late in the evening in hopes of discouraging arsonists.
