Saginaw mayor invites public to pray in park for peace

SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — The mayor of Saginaw is inviting residents to pray in public for “peace in our city.”

Brenda Moore is joining local pastors and others Sunday at 2 p.m. in Borchard Park.

“I believe that prayer is a crucial element in fighting the violence and other issues that plague and divide our city,” Moore said.

“Everyone is invited, from the east and west, all races, all religions,” she said. “Now is the time that we must stand united as we pray for peace in our city.”

By late August, Saginaw had at least 12 homicides compared to 15 at the same time in 2020, police said. There have been more than 60 shootings this year in a city of 44,000 people.

Police Chief Bob Ruth recently said more revenue would help him add officers.

“When we increase the size of the department, we can take care of quality-of-life issues within the neighborhoods more,” he said.