October 4, 2010 - SHREVEPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT AGGRESSIELY PURSUING ARSON FIRES
SFD Responds to increased arsons

This time of year traditionally shows an increase in the number of fires that the Shreveport Fire Department responds to, including arson fires. In 2009 there were 90 arson fires by the end of October. For this year to date there have also been 90 arson fires, including last nights blaze in the 2600 block of Lillian. The 24 arrests this year on arson charges is a 27% arrest rate, well over the national average of 18% for a very difficult crime to prosecute. Fire Chief Brian Crawford attributes the arrests to the department’s highly trained Arson Investigators aggressively pursuing each and every suspicious fire. “If you commit arson in Shreveport we will use every means possible to track you down, arrest you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” says Crawford. Adding, “Our arrest record speaks for itself.” A number of reasons are attributed to arson fires including

n Criminal factors:

- Setting a structure on fire for malicious and felony intent of destroying the property or harming an individual(s).
- For profit arson. This usually means that a property owner or renter is involved is the setting of an intentional fire to collect insurance proceeds.
- Pyromaniac. Someone which psychological fixation on setting fires

n Incendiary: these fires are generally in unoccupied vacant single family dwellings that are being used by vagrants or homeless as shelter from the cooler temperatures. The individuals will often build a fire for warmth and either unintentionally leave it burning or do not fully extinguish.

Additionally with the cold weather upon us we still expect to see more in the ways of fires in the next four to five months than any other time of the year. In order to combat potential arson the fire department is:

n SFD/SPD aggressively pursue, arrest, and prosecute arsonists
n Partnering with Shreveport Police to step up patrols and pay particular attention to areas of town that have large numbers of vulnerable vacant structures
n Partnering with City’s Property Standards to identify vacant structures and to schedule for demolition those destroyed by arson fires to reduce safety issue.
n Providing information to property owners of how they can minimize being the target of an arson fire, including,
- Keeping property neat, uncluttered, with all greenery trimmed away from the structure
- Keeping property well lit will deter the criminal element and keep unwanted visitors away
- Keep vacant property will secured, boarded and locked at all times
- Make frequent if not daily checks on your property
- Provide neighbors with contact number and have them contact you if they see anything suspicious. ###