Tackling arson: Other initiatives
Crimestoppers
In order to assist the police with gathering information and detecting who is responsible
for committing arson, the APB has supported the Crimestoppers Arson Alert scheme.
This national scheme is a crime information operation that enables anyone with information
about a malicious fire or a fire raiser - and who wishes t remain anonymous - to pass
that information to police. Rewards are available and are paid without prejudice to
the caller's anonymity.
Contact: Brain Wareham, Director of Operations, Crimestoppers Trust, Apollo
House, 66a London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5BE (Tel No 02082543200)
The Arson Alert number is 0800 555 111 - calls are free, callers do not have to
give their name and callers may receive an award.
Fire brigades in some areas have adopted the scheme and publicise the Arson Alert
telephone number actively when serious fires have occurred in their areas. In some
areas, such as Suffolk and Lancashire, this includes the inclusion of the number
on all new and modified brigade vehicles in their fleet.
Hoax Calls – Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
This scheme represents a partnership between Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
and mobile phone providers. Once pre-paid talk time has been exhausted, mobile phones
can only be used to make emergency calls. In an effort to reduce hoax calls believed
to be made by young people once this time has elapsed, the mobile phone provider removes
the facility to make emergency calls permanently from any phone that has been used
to make hoax calls. This facility has been publicised in schools in Lancashire.
Contact:
Blackwood Community Safety Initiative – Cheshire Fire Brigade
Following residents concerns about a series of dwelling and vehicle fires on a
housing estate in Warrington, a major safety initiative was launched in the area.
The fire and police service worked with the resident’s association, local children,
schools, parents and the Training and Enterprise Council.
Contact: Adrian Luty, Assistant Divisional Officer, Warrington Fire Station
(Tel No 01925 411310)
Arson Task Force
The U.K’s first arson task force began work at the beginning of 1998. Initiated
by Northumbria Police and Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade, the task force’s aim is to reduce
the number and scale of arson incidents in the West End of Newcastle. The project
was funded for two years by the Arson Prevention Bureau and overseen by the Northumbria
Community Safety Strategy Board, a partnership of local agencies who are actively
committed to improving community safety and reducing crime.
The establishment of the Task Force was a major recommendation by the Bureau in
the light of the particularly high arson rate within the West End of Newcastle. In
1997, the year before the formation of the Task Force, 83% of property fires and 90%
of outdoor fires in the area were malicious. The monthly cost of arson within Tyne
and Wear was £1 million with the West End responsible for more than £200,000 every
month.
The Task Force has four main aims which were designed to produce a measurable reduction
in the proportion and scale of arson within the project area:
To identify the contributing factors to arson
To develop an ongoing system for monitoring arson
To identify and profile persistent arson offenders
To identify the main elements required to reduce arson
In partnership with other organisations the Task Force have employed short term
environmental initiatives such as the boarding up of empty properties, removal of
bulky refuse and removal of abandoned vehicles. Longer term initiatives include educational
and diversionary measures aimed at children and young people. The Task Force also
makes use of joint police/fire expertise to investigate every suspicious fire in the
project area.
Contact: Graham Shiel, Senior Divisional Officer, Brigade Headquarters, PO
Box 1HR, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE99 1HR, (Tel No 0191 2321224)
Kent and Medway Inter-Agency Arson Reduction Strategy
In response to the rising number of arson fires nationally, a multi-agency arson
reduction strategy group was established. Organisations represented on the group included;
Medway Council, Kent Probation Service, Kent Police, Kent Fire Brigade, Kent Mentally
Disordered Offenders Group, and the following Kent County Council Departments - Education
and Libraries, Social Services, Safer Kent Co-ordinator, and Insurance and Risk Management.
Invitations were also extended to East Kent and West Kent Health Authorities.
The group has developed a strategy, which provides a clear framework for the activities
of the group. In broad terms, the strategy is based on an agreement that action to
tackle arson falls into four distinct areas:
Appropriate levels of investigation – ensuring that appropriate action is
taken to investigate and record all incidences of arson throughout the county and
where necessary taking further action commensurate with the circumstances of each
case.
Target hardening – this will involve identifying the type and location of
properties which are most at risk from the threat of arson, alerting those responsible
for the management of these sites to that potential risk and offering timely and relevant
risk reduction and management advice to them.
Educating the vulnerable – certain communities suffer persistent and pervasive
minor arson that sets a detrimental tone and affects many people. Developing awareness
within these communities about how to tackle arson will help to improve their quality
of life.
Managing Fire-setters and persistent offenders – this will involve the identification
of those people who carry out fire-setting in our communities and offering an education
programme to prevent a re-occurrence of that behaviour. In addition, it will also
involve the management of those people who, for whatever reason, fail to respond to
educational and rehabilitation programmes.
Contact: Adam Eckley, Commander, Community Fire Safety.
Tel: 01622-698351
Fax: 01622-698379
Email: adam.eckley@kent.fire-uk.org
Sunderland Community Safety Centre
Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade receive funding through the Youth Justice Board to establish
a Community Safety Centre in Sunderland. The centre is used as a base to deliver a
variety of initiatives designed to reduce offending among young people. The programme
is targeted at excluded young people aged 13 to 17 and at younger children aged 5-13
with a history of fire-setting and arson. The Schools Fire Safety Education Programme
is an integral part of the activities, as is a structured work experience course for
young offenders aged 15 to 16 years, and a Princes Trust Franchise targeting unemployed
and employed young people aged 17-25.
The centre also supports two branches of the Young Fire-fighters Association, and
a successful Fire-setter intervention programme.
Contact: Contact: Graham Shiel, Senior Divisional Officer, Brigade
Headquarters, PO Box 1HR, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE99 1HR, (Tel No
0191 2321224)
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