On the night before Halloween, a major MidMichigan community is swearing in three additional police officers.
Saginaw will now have more help patrolling the streets and cracking down on crime.
Saginaw Joyce Seals says, "This is what it's all about, keeping families safe in the City of Saginaw."
On a night with past perceptions of fire and crime, hope and pride shine through.
Saginaw Police Chief Gerald Cliff says, "I think that tonight is going to be an example of community action like any city would be proud of. We're going to have thousands of our citizens on the streets, taking back their streets, making them safe, working side by side with public safety."
Three additional police officers join the ranks of Saginaw's finest.
Seals says, "Our number one rated goal in the city, on the council, is public safety. So we're not just talking with rhetoric here, but we really mean that."
The officers get the city closer to its budgeted goal of 105 officers, but the chief says, it's still not enough.
Cliff says, "If all you went by is population numbers we might be close, but if you factor in violent crimes per capita, that our community has to endure, no, we're not close."
Cliff says, the state and federal governments have done pretty much all they're going to do for public safety and that the public will determine its priority of public safety.
Cliff says, "It's going to depend on the voters. If the voters want public safety, they have to understand that it's not free."
For that to happen the city's tax cap would have to be lifted. So far, voters have turned that down.
In the meantime, the extra officers are a welcome addition.
The tax cap issue is on the ballot November 3rd.
Stimulus dollars paid for the new officers.
Two more officers are in the academy expecting to graduate and join the ranks in January.
At that time, two more candidates will enroll in the police academy.
