NCJ Number
158501
Date Published
1980
Length
141 pages
Annotation
A Senate committee hearing held in September 1980 focused on S. 252, the Anti-Arson Act of 1979, which focused on arson for profit.
Abstract
The speakers included a panel of antiarson experts from the National Fire Protection Association, the United States Fire Administration of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ohio State Arson Bureau, two insurance companies, and a Federal prosecutor's office. Additional prepared statements came from the International Association of Firefighters, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the American Insurance Association, and individuals. They noted that arson is present in both rural and urban areas and that it destroys homes, motor vehicles, stores, factories, and farms in every part of the country. In 1977, several hundred thousand instances of arson occurred across the country. Professional arsonists earn as much as $300,000 per year, and insurance companies often settle property insurance claims without investigation. In addition, the arrest rate for arson is the lowest of all major crimes. The legislation would create a 2-year antiarson interagency committee that would establish and coordinate prevention, training, detection, and community awareness programs. The bill also makes arson a Part 1 crime in the uniform crime reports.