Peoria – For the third consecutive year, a group of local volunteers from the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) will be enhancing the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office efforts to keep trick-or-treaters safe this Halloween. Thirteen members of ARES will be monitoring 22 different locations throughout the county between 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. ARES volunteers are trained to watch for suspicious activity and will report any such activity via mobile radio to their control station at the Sheriff’s Office, 310 N. Maxwell Road in Peoria. The control station will in turn notify E911 Dispatch if warranted.

As with its mobile auxiliary, the Sheriff’s Office appreciates the efforts and commitment of the ARES volunteers. Sheriff Michael D. McCoy explains, “Any time you have people from the community step up to assist law enforcement on a busy night like Halloween, it’s always helpful. Their support augments our department and helps us keep our citizens safe, especially trick-or-treaters who are vulnerable going house to house after dark. Superman and Batgirl may think they’re invincible on Halloween, but local law enforcement ensures it!”

For more information on tomorrow’s ARES assistance, please call Lt. Edward Fischer at (309) 697-7829 or Fritz Bock of ARES at (309) 256-2297.