NCJ Number
98175
Date Published
1985
Length
126 pages
Annotation
Six papers developed from two arson prevention and control research projects conducted from January 1984 through June 1985 discuss legal remedies that can be invoked in both prefire and postfire situations by citizens and public officials acting to promote public safety.
Abstract
An overview of two papers summarizes the technical issues involved in establishing landlord liability in prefire and postfire situations on the basis of negligence and nuisance legal concepts. One paper reports on the applications of tort law in postfire situations, where building owners can be liable for allowing building conditions to deteriorate to hazardous levels. The second report distinguishes between public and private nuisances and explains the potential applications of injunctive actions under both types of suits. A report on developing witness skills in arson control litigation instructs citizens in the skills required to prepare and present information before deliberative bodies authorized to take action that can help prevent arson. Another paper describes how a community arson control program has negotiated an information exchange agreement with an insurance company designed to prevent arson for profit. The critical role that community organizations can play in gathering, analyzing, and communicating arson information relevant to criminal investigations is considered in another paper. A 12-item bibliography of technical assistance materials reflects recent advances in arson prediction, prevention, and postfire control remedies. An introduction includes a description of the 1984 and 1985 conferences held to disseminate information from the two research projects. For the individual papers, see NCJ 98176-81.