Match Game - Arson for Profit

• NCJ Number: 90628
• Journal: Fire and Arson Investigator Volume: 33 Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1982) Pages: 14-18
• Author(s): C R Riggs
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article identifies the various schemes of arson-for-profit (organized crime, insurance/housing fraud, commercial arson, and residential arson) and outlines trends to counter arson, including the development of expert investigations and the use of arson strike forces.

Abstract

Organized crime uses arson fires in lieu of mortgage payments from persons unable to repay loans obtained from the syndicate. Syndicates also will set fires to obtain the plumbing pipe, wires, fixtures, etc., from burned-out buildings to sell, and organized crime further uses arson for extortion, business takeovers, terror, and as a cover-up for other crimes. Arson used for insurance and housing fraud schemes includes the obtaining of fire insurance on overvalued buildings, the clearing of land for a new building, for the renovation of deteriorating buildings, and to obtain housing at low cost. Residential arson may be used by homeowners who can't find a buyer for their homes and for redecorating. The use of teams of experts sometimes called arson strike forces have done much to counter the success of arson-for-profit schemes. The New York City Arson Strike Force consists of the city's commissioners of the fire department, police department, and housing preservation and development; the human resources administrator; and a special advisor to the mayor. The strike force has established an information center which compiles computerized information on building ownership, condition, previous arson history, and financial condition of buildings which have had arson fires. A computerized profile of buildings most likely to be 'torched' is kept. Insurance companies are also making efforts to determine if an insurance claim is derived from arson. In the case of the Commercial Union Insurance Company, a team of experts is used to try and build a case likely to be successful in court. Efforts are also being undertaken to reduce the incentive for arson.