NEWS

Going after the arsonists

According to fire service data, 232 people have been arrested on charges of arson since the beginning of the year: 51 for arson with intent and 181 for negligence. Ten of the alleged arsonists were taken into custody. Have there been changes in the fire service’s interrogation methods this year? In past years, 50 to 60 percent of fires were defined as having «unknown» causes. This year, this figure went down by 25 percent. One of the factors that contributed to this was the systematic training of interrogation personnel by experts of the US forest service in California and Florida. They taught us how, through research, to locate those responsible. On top of that, the department’s arson investigation unit has now acquired an archive carrying information and data regarding convicted arsonists and is now able to evaluate and relate every new piece of evidence that they come across.

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