Devil's Night Fires Sweep the Nation

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Oct 23, 2000 | by John Elvin, | Thomas Cipriano

For one thing, the city went all out in recent years to eliminate many of the arsonists' favorite targets, such as abandoned factories and other vacant buildings. In all, 3,000 buildings have been demolished. The other point is that the city has gone all out to stop the mayhem; these days on Devil's Night in Detroit the city will be crawling with vigilant citizen volunteers and an army of local, state and federal watchdogs. A very serious youth curfew will be in effect. Last year, not much of a problem year by Detroit standards, several hundred teens were detained for curfew violations. And anyone carrying a container of gasoline can expect to be arrested -- period.

Douglas Leahey, an arson investigator for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF), who has been active on the Detroit scene, is among those who say that Devil's Night in Detroit has been calmed substantially. But, he noted, experience has shown that when authorities let down their guard, as happened one year in the mid-1990s, "there is a notable increase" in arson activity.

The city appears to have no intention of letting down its guard this year. As a matter of fact, Mayor Dennis W. Archer said exactly that in announcing this year's "Angels' Night" effort. Krystal Fields, a public-information officer for the city, says it is expected that 35,000 volunteers will "serve as the eyes and ears of the police and fire departments" again this year. Some patrol in pairs for a six-hour shift, others stake out abandoned or unoccupied dwellings for the evening and still others perform other "neighborhood-watch" activities. One volunteer patrol group has its own special "blight-buster" vehicle -- a rebuilt 1971 ambulance, outfitted with sirens, floodlights and various communications equipment. "It's like one big party citywide," an enthusiastic volunteer told a reporter. Fields, in an aside, said citizens have been complaining of late that the patrols are "boring" due to reduced arson activity.

Meanwhile, BATF's Leahey notes the problem has escalated in the nearby Michigan community of Flint. Youth arson is a statewide concern, and the Michigan Arson Prevention Committee maintains a toll-free hotline for reporting incidents. Tipsters can receive a reward of as much as $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of a perpetrator. According to the committee, the reward program has been successful and has led to "a significant number of arrests and convictions."

Among other cities around the country where deliberate Halloween-related fires have been a major problem, authorities in Camden, N.J., tell Insight that the once-infamous Devil's Night arsons have been brought under control due to increased patrols by law-enforcement personnel and the efforts of 3,000 civilian volunteers. Camden found that volunteer patrols were effective because "parents who know other children's parents" are a good deterrent. Camden officials are relieved at the reduction in incidents that used to draw fire and news reporters from far and wide.