SURVEY AND ASSESSMENT OF ARSON AND ARSON INVESTIGATION: EQUIPMENT SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

• NCJ Number: 39113
• Author(s): J F BOUDREAU; Q Y KWAN; W E FARAGHER; G C DENAULT
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 132 pages
• Contract Number(s): J-LEAA-025-73
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Aerospace Corporation
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS REPORT CONTAINS THE RESULTS OF A STUDY OF ARSON AND OF CURRENT METHODS AND NEEDS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN ARSON INVESTIGATION.

Abstract

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ARSON STATISTICS AND STUDIES OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ARSONISTS ARE PRESENTED, AND THEIR LIMITATIONS NOTED. NUMEROUS TABLES ILLUSTRATING THIS STATISTICAL INFORMATION ARE INTEGRATED IN THE TEXT. A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED USING A SELECTED GROUP OF LEADING ARSON INVESTIGATORS TO IDENTIFY NEEDS IN ARSON INVESTIGATION. ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE STUDY WAS A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF DATA ON ARSON, ARSON ARRESTS, AND ARSON CONVICTIONS FROM 108 CITIES OVER A 4-YEAR PERIOD. A REVIEW OF THE CAPABILITIES AND NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TECHNICAL METHODS OF ARSON INVESTIGATION IS PRESENTED. A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE REDUCTION OF ARSON AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF ARSON INVESTIGATION ALSO ARE INCLUDED. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT IMPROVEMENT IN THE ARSON INVESTIGATION FIELD SHOULD INCLUDE INCREASING THE NUMBER AND THE TRAINING OF ARSON INVESTIGATORS, DEVELOPING MORE EFFECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR THEIR USE, AND IMPROVING COOPERATION WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES. ALSO NECESSARY TO IMPROVEMENT ARE ESTABLISHING AN AUTOMATED DATA SYSTEM FOR ARSON INVESTIGATION AND ESCALATING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON ARSON INVESTIGATIVE METHODS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF RELEVANT MATERIAL IS INCLUDED IN THE DOCUMENT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)