NCJ Number
132197
Journal
Prosecutor Volume: 24 Issue: 4 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: 12-15
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
An arson task force organized in New Haven, Connecticut in 1978 combined the resources of police and fire services to create one of America's first combined Fire/Police Investigative Units.
Abstract
Playing a leadership role in the attack on arson, New Haven's State's Attorney's Office has worked aggressively with police and fire investigators to implement several new and innovative approaches to demonstrate that when existing resources are coordinated effectively, arson is detectable, arrests are possible, and cases based solely on circumstantial evidence can be prosecuted. The Arson Warning and Preventive Strategy which uses computer technology to identify at-risk structures in New Haven provides support to this investigative body. An overall goal of the Fire Investigative Unit's comprehensive cross-training program is to gather sufficient quality evidence to prove a case beyond a reasonable adult. Steps for organizing an arson task force are outlined.