Wayne Seeks Firefighting Prosecutor
Friday, December 18, 2009 at 01:09PM Wayne Plans To Hire Firefighting Prosecutor With Fund Raising Money
DETROIT -- Arson is an old problem in Wayne County, and the situation is getting worse.With budgets tight and resources limited, arson cases often don't receive the attention they deserve in the prosecutor’s office, but there is a new effort to fight fire with funds.The Michigan Arson Prevention Committee is spearheading an initiative to raise money that will go toward hiring an assistant prosecutor and investigators who will focus on arson cases.“As far as I know, it’s very unique. It’s the first time ever that we have risen to the occasion,” said organizer Patricia Parr-Armelagos.With the number of unsolved cases climbing, the funding is a major boost for the Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy's office. “We are really hurting, we are bursting at the seams. We can’t cover all our core services. Now with something like this, it’s like a double benefit for us,” said Worthy at a recent fund raising event.The organization is seeing donations pour in from both the private and public sectors. The prosecutor’s office could see an increase in staff as early as January next year.