The Devastating Effects of Arson Essay - 2651 Words

Arson is â€Å"any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, [or] personal property of another† (Bartol Bartol, 2011. P 463). Arson comes in many forms – juveniles vandalizing property, businesses trying to collect insurance money, and murderers covering up their crimes are just a few of the examples arson investigators deal with. The reasons why arson is committed and the psychology behind arson are as diverse as the crime itself. There is no one perfect psychological profile of an arsonist. Young, old, educated, illiterate, sane, insane, rich and poor all can become arsonists. With such a wide range of suspect characteristics,†¦show more content†¦A small percentage arsonists are driven by a mental condition known as pyromania, which is an irresistible urge to set fires combined with an intense fascination for flames (Bartol Bartol). These fire sett ers claim they have no control over their fire setting impulses. The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) published by the FBI gives a little better look of the profile of an arsonist, though not much. Only those fires that are determined to be deliberately set are included in the UCR, suspicious fires are not. In 2009, Motor vehicles and other mobile property accounted for 28.4% of arsons, 27.1% were arsons that involved crops, timber, fences and other such types of property, and the remaining 44.5% of arsons were those involving structures – residential, commercial and public. With all of the different reasons for setting arson fires, as well as the large variance in profiles of arsonists, investigating them can be difficult. This difficulty is compounded by the amount of evidence than can be destroyed by the act of arson. Arson investigators must begin by trying to find the point of origin; a task that can be made very difficult by tossing aside the debris and damaged items while the fire is being fought (Swanson, et al. 2006). If arson is suspected, the point of origin can be a deciding factor in declaring a fire intentional, especially if the fire began in the center of the roomShow MoreRelatedFighting Fire With Fire Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesDue to this new law, the southwest saw something unexpected. Instead of there being a decrease in wildfires, there was a drastic increase. Wildfires were burning more regularly and larger than ever before. This soon became known as the â€Å"Smokey Bear effect†. 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The investigation was considered very professional, since they did have the right kind of professionals and experts at the moment. One of the investigators was named Douglas Fogg, he was at the time considered as an arson investigator, due to his twenty year experience. Although, one thing I knew that was a little suspicious was the way he investigated the fire and according to Fogg, â€Å"You learn that fire talks to you† (Grann, para 12). Since Fogg has had a long experience