City of Flint Halloween preps - ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MI

(10/24/12) - Halloween preparations are already beginning in one Mid-Michigan community.

Flint officials have plans to keep parents and kids safe during this fall holiday season. One week from Wednesday, kids will begin trick or treating in Flint. Official Halloween hours in the city are 5:30-8 p.m.

The community is asked to stay vigilant and watch for any suspicious activity. This Halloween, the city of Flint is putting out all the stops.

"We want to make sure our community is safe and secure. Our goal again is to have another 100 volunteers out the night before Halloween in every part of the city, helping to keep community that historically has presented us with some challenges," said Flint Mayor Dayne Walling.

Mayor Walling, Police Chief Alvern Lock and Emergency Financial Manager Ed Kurtz said residents will play a big role in making sure the night of and the night before Halloween are safe ones.

"We will have extra patrols out, we've beefed that up both nights also, we just need to have a full court press on anything going on either of those two nights," said Chief Lock.

Flint homeowner Paul Smith has lived in his south side neighborhood for 19 years. He plans on being part of the community's Halloween patrols. "There's a neighborhood watch that we always as a family keep an eye out, we keep our lights on, we look before we open the doors."

Paul hopes arsonists who struck in the past won't come back this year. "It's really sad that the celebration has come to this. I know it's a tradition for some people, but it's silly tradition and in the long run we hurt ourselves when we burn down or destroy our own neighborhoods."

Mini-stations 1, 2 and 5 will be open Tuesday and Wednesday nights.