Chapter 15 Arson Flashcards Preview

Detective textbook per chapter > Chapter 15 Arson > Flashcards

Flashcards in Chapter 15 Arson Deck (22)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

Legal categories of Arson (2)

A

Aggravated arson - deliberate burning of property while creating imminent danger to human life or risking bodily harm.

Simple arson - leader offense - burning of property that does not result in a risk to human life.

2
Q

The police and fire relationship in arsons

A

Fire fighters - 1. Extinguish 2. Investigate origin of fire 3. Detect possibility of arson but not to investigation

When fire investigation becomes who committed the crime the matter becomes police investigation

3
Q

Preliminary investigation for arson

A

Arson does not have immediate corpus delicti - investigators role to prove that a fire did occur and deliberately.

Circumstantial and direct can be used to show fire ignited but may not reveal the MO of arsonist

4
Q

First step in arson investigation?

A
  • Identify point of origin.
  • Most critical phase because includes ruling out accidental or natural causes.
  • materials used in setting fire, type of material being burned, may show distinct burn pattern
  • most physical evident may be found at point of origin
5
Q

Finding accelerants in arson investigations

A

Accelerants at fire scene prove it was set intentionally
Accelerants = chemical fuels that cause fires to burn hotter , quickly , make difficult to extinguish
Accelerants may still be in charred debris

  • sniffer dogs can find accelerants *
6
Q

Headspace gas chromatography

A
  • one of Mose advanced techniques for detecting accelerants in fire debris
  • separating mixtures of gases into their individual components based on different boiling points of their hydrocarbons
  • Each gas in the mixture can then be identified
    If accelerant is used, a small amount will likely still be present in charred debris.
7
Q

Observe span of fire

A

Determining span of fire can be beneficial
Physical characteristics of smoke , direction, flames and distances traveled are important
Debris from the fire should be tested for accelerants

8
Q

Photograph the scene

A

Photographs of strict should be taken to preserve scene

Pictures of other evidence should also be taken

9
Q

Identify plants or trailers

A

Plants : preparations used to set the fire including newspapers rags or other flammable waste material

Trailers : materials used in spreading the fire. These include gunpowder

10
Q

Alligatoring

A

Pattern of crevices formed by the burning of a wooden structure.
Resembling the skin of an alligator this pattern reveals minimum amount of charring, with alligatoring in large segments when a fire is extinguished rapidly.
As fire continues to burn the alligatoring becomes smaller with charting becoming deeper

11
Q

Other clues unifications dire of suspicious origin is arson

A
  • flames - color of flame (ex: blue orange represents burning alcohol)
  • smoke - black smoke petroleum base , white smoke indicates straw or hay (vegetable matter )
  • size of the fire - ex: engulfed in flames in short period of time arson
    Odor- “investigators should try to detect orders by using their own OLFACTORY SENSES
12
Q

Arson for profit

A

50% of fire related property damage

Includes business owners setting fire for insurance

13
Q

Arson for revenge

A

Jealousy spite
People targeting both individuals and property
After revenge has been identified as possible motive the list of suspects can be narrowed

14
Q

Arson for vandalism

A

Almost always by a juvenile 95% time
Can include children experimenting with fire
Some theories suggest children set fires to call for help

15
Q

Arson for crime concealment

A

It is common to cover up crime using fire
Murder burglaries and other crimes have been concealed through fire
Investigators must consider this as an alternative motive for all fires

16
Q

Pyromania

A

Compulsive fire starter
Impulsive , their acts seldom planned and the perp gets some sort of gratification from starting the fires
Investigators revealed PYROs have sordid last which includes being abused as a child bed wetting and cruelty to animals

17
Q

Serial fire starters

Classified as : (3)

A

Mass arsonist : set three of life fires at same location.

Spree Arsonist : sets fires at three or more separate locations with no cooling off period in between

Serial arsonist : sets three or more separate fires with a definite cooling off period in between them , this period could be days weeks or months

18
Q

Fire triangle

A

Heat, fuel, oxygen - without the fire triangle there can be no fire

19
Q

Reasons why prosecution of arson crimes may never occur

A

1 there is nobody qualified or trained to conduct investigation
2 the time required for a thorough arson investigation by police of fire is not available
3 prosecuting attorneys are reluctant to file and pursue prosecution - this is the most prevalent reason because arson cases are difficult to prosecute

20
Q

Bomb searching techniques (3)

A

First room searching sweep
Second room searching sweep
Third room searching sweep
Fourth time searching sweep

1- divide area and select a search height
2- start from bottom work up
3- start back to bCk and work toward eachother
4- go around the walls and proceed toward center of room

21
Q

Four primary elements of terrorism

A

Premeditated
Politically motivated
Violent
Committee against non-combatant targets

22
Q

Domestic vs international terrorism

A

Domestic - unlawful use of threatened use of force by a group or individual - based and operating entirely within the US WITHOUT foreign direction , against people or property to intimidate or coerce a government population for social or political objectives
International - violent acts that are danger to human life that are violation of the law of the US or any state - assassination, kidnapping - outside of US and national boundaries