Witnesses played a key role late Monday night and early Tuesday in helping the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department make an arrest in an arson case.

In the past, local law enforcement has had trouble getting people that witness crimes to speak up, but Captain Mike Granthum said they have seen that trend go in the opposite direction lately. People in the community serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for law enforcement, and they can be a huge asset in helping investigations move in the right direction.

In a time where relationship between some communities and law enforcement agencies are on edge, it is great to see people stepping up and pitching in. Without witnesses, sometimes cases would go unsolved.

We’re not sure what the numbers reflect, but it seems like more and more arrests are being made in serious crimes than in previous years. We hope this trend continues and that people see the benefit in reporting crime to law enforcement officers. After all, they can’t do it alone. They need the people’s help.