Issue

Key Activity/Requirements

Desired Outcome

Start Date

Impact Date

Contribution to Target/Aim/Comments

Arson Prevention Programme: Car theft & malicious car fires

• Assess/explore the relationship between car thefts & malicious car fires.
• Would include local data work with insurers, police & fire service – work is developmental

Would enable targeting of arson intervention policies & would feed into the Home Office aim of reducing vehicle crime by 30% over 5 years. Feeds into work of VCRAT.

June ‘01

Ongoing

Correlation between vehicle fires & thefts means that success in achieving goals on reducing vehicle crime (Aim 1) would have corresponding benefits in reducing vehicle fires (Aim 7). Detail of project to be discussed with RDS/HMFSI.

Arson Prevention Programme: Motivation of arsonists

Overall requirement to quantify the proportion of deliberate fires attributable to a particular motive.

• Stage 1 will involve a literature review covering fire; police & psychiatric reports & any unpublished work carried out at a local level. The review will identify & evaluate relevant research findings & methodologies, highlighting where current research is lacking & make recommendations accordingly.

• Stage 2 will follow up the Stage 1 recommendations

Different motives require different prevention/deterrence approaches. Enables targeting of arson intervention policies.

Mar‘01

To be determined

Oct ’01

Ongoing

Enables targeting of fresh Home Office arson intervention/deterrence initiatives.

Contract Let

Arson Prevention Programme: Juvenile Firesetting Intervention Schemes

Validation fire brigade juvenile firesetting intervention schemes.

Requirement is to assist in validation of draft guidance & examples of best practice (being prepared by Toolbox Working Group of NCFSC/ACF) .

Production and validation of guidance & examples of best practice for fire brigades undertaking firesetter intervention schemes

May ’01

Nov ’01

The majority of those cautioned or found guilty of arson are male juveniles aged typically 10-13 years. This is an area of particular concern & most fire brigades undertake some form of juvenile firesetter intervention/education programme. However, there are no official guidelines or endorsed standard schemes & there has been little formal evaluation of their success.

Success would contribute to reducing fires (Aim 7).

Arson Prevention Programme: Unsuccessful Prosecutions

Ascertaining why certain cases are discontinued before reaching the Courts and the reasons for unsuccessful prosecutions. Work could involve: -

• Analysis of reasons why cases were not proceeded with by CPS.

• Interview selected police forces/CPS

• Produce draft report for consideration by ACF.

Detailed feedback will enable valuable lessons to be learned and investigation and detection techniques to be improved.

Jun ‘01

Ongoing

There is confusion at grassroots level within the police and fire services why certain cases were discontinued. Improved investigation & detection means that success in achieving goals on reducing crime (Aim 1) would have corresponding benefits in reducing fires (Aim 7).

Arson Prevention Programme: Development of Better Measurement of the Impact of Arson Prevention Measures.

Better performance measures that are being developed for the fire service will assess the impact of prevention work across the board but lower level indicators (for use by HMFSI & HMIC) are required to assess to what extent (and how well) arson prevention measures are being delivered.

Better performance measures that are being developed for the fire service will assess the impact of prevention work across the board but lower level indicators (for use by HMFSI & HMIC) are required to assess to what extent (and how well) arson prevention measures are being delivered.

Mar ‘01

Dec ‘01

Better performance measures will lead to more effective prevention initiatives.

Detail to be discussed with RSD, HMFSI & HMIC.

Arson Prevention Programme: Development of National Anti-fraudulent Arson Database

Overall requirement is to develop in conjunction with the APB, insurers and loss adjusters a national anti-fraudulent arson database along the lines of the American Property Insurance Loss Register (PILR). The scheme would need to have regard to data protection legislation.

Initially this would be on a trial basis in order to ascertain whether such a database will provide valuable information but if it is successful to extend the database to include other agencies again with regard to data protection legislation.

Nov’ 01

Ongoing

More effective exchange of information would highlight any patterns of potentially fraudulent claims & success in repudiating such claims would lead to success in achieving goals on reducing crime (Aim 1) & would ultimately have corresponding benefits in reducing fires (Aim 7).

Arson Prevention Programme: Effectiveness of Other Arson Prevention Initiatives -

Overall Requirement is to maintain a watching brief to consider further research to assess the effectiveness of other arson control approaches (i.e. American experience). & the extent to which the UK could follow & benefit from.

Introduction of more effective anti-arson measures based on experience overseas.

May ‘01

Ongoing

Assist in achieving goals on reducing crime (Aim 1) and would have corresponding benefits in reducing the overall number of fires (Aim 7).

Arson Prevention Programme: Co-ordination of statistics on arson and deliberate fires.

Overall requirement is to bring together the information from various sources on the extent of the arson problem into one comprehensive document

Increase awareness and understanding of the arson problem by providing comprehensive statistics.

Mar ‘01

Jul ‘01

Assist in achieving goals on reducing crime (Aim 1) and would have corresponding benefits in reducing the overall number of fires (Aim 7).