NCJ Number
56455
Journal
Arson Analysis Newsletter Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1979) Pages: 2-8
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
DISCUSSIONS ON THE ACCURACY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ARSON ANALYSIS IN DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE LABORATORIES ARE REPORTED FROM THE THIRD CONGRESS OF CRIMINALISTS HELD ON NOVEMBER 21, 1978.
Abstract
IT WAS THE CONSENSUS OF THE CRIMINALISTS THAT THEY MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTER ARSON WHEN IT IS PART OF A COVERUP OF, OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH, ANOTHER MAJOR CRIME, USUALLY MURDER. PARTICIPANTS FELT THAT CRIME SCENE SECURITY AND RESPONSIBILITY WERE THE MOST CRITICALLY UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS IN ARSON INVESTIGATION. DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF ARSON SCENES AND THE SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED FOR THEIR PROPER INTERPRETATION, IT IS BELIEVED THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER IS NOT QUALIFIED TO CONDUCT ARSON SCENE INVESTIGATION. TYPES OF MATERIALS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED AS ACCELERANTS WERE DISCUSSED, WITH GASOLINE BEING THE PRIMARY ONE. EVALUATIONS OF VARIOUS PACKAGING METHODS AND THE PROBLEMS AND ADVANTAGES OF EACH ALSO WERE DISCUSSED. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE CRIME LABORATORIES PREPARE AND SEND TO LOCAL POLICE AND FIRE INVESTIGATORS A MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION ON THE IDENTIFICAITON AND COLLECTION OF EVIDENCE AT THE ARSON SCENE. VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE LABS REPRESENTED USE SOME FORM OF HEATED HEADSPACE SAMPLING FOR SCREENING OF ARSON DEBRIS SPECIMENS. CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS AS TO THE INTERPRETATION OF NEGATIVE RESULTS OR MARGINAL RESULTS WERE DISCUSSED, AND VARIOUS TECHNIQUES FOR SAMPLE RECOVERY WERE CONSIDERED. ALL OF THE LABORATORIES REPORTED RELIANCE ON GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF PRODUCTS BY HEADSPACE SAMPLING ALONE OR BY HEADSPACE COMBINED WITH LIQUID INJECTIONS. LABORATORY EQUIPMENT USED BY THE VARIOUS REPRESENTED LABS ALSO WAS COMPARED. IT WAS FELT THAT GASOLINE WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE MOST COMMONLY USED VOLATILE ACCELERANT. INCREASING ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURE, HOWEVER, EVENTUALLY WILL BRING ABOUT GASOLINES WITH NO HEAVY METAL ADDITIVES OR HALOGENATED COMPOUNDS. AT THAT TIME, THE FORENSIC SCIENTIST WILL BE FORCED TO RELY ON MORE SOPHISTICATED TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTION OF AROMATIC COMPOUNDS, ALONG WITH SULFUR, PHOSPHORUS, AND POSSIBLY NITROGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS AS A MEANS OF CHARACTERIZING SUCH FUELS. (RCB)