NCJ Number
127088
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1990) Pages: 50-52
Date Published
1990
Length
3 pages
Annotation
For successful investigations, it is recommended that prosecutorial officials be included on the team along with the fire and police investigators. A New Haven (CT) arson program that included aggressive prosecution by the State's Attorney's office yielded a dramatic statistical decline in arson.
Abstract
An arson task force was organized in New Haven (CT) in 1978 and by the early 1980s had achieved a high arson arrest rate and a better than 95-percent conviction rate. The force combined resources from the fire and police departments together with persuasive evidences by trial court prosecutors, and was further supported by Arson Warning and Prevention Strategy (AWPS) which used computer technology to identify at-risk structures based on an analysis of common denominators among previous arsons. The 1980s brought support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the use of canines in investigations. It is concluded that the stated goals and suggested arson task force must include the full input and cooperation of the prosecutorial offices to be successful.