Reducing arson - our approach and partnerships

This page is about our strategy for arson reduction, our partners, how we target arson and useful links for arson reduction.

• causes of arson 
• our approach
• partnerships
• our strategy
• useful links and documents

The causes of arson

These are some of the reasons that cause people to commit the crime of arson.

• alcohol, anti-social behaviour, boredom/vandalism, concealment of other crimes, murder, theft, drugs, extremism/political, financial gain/fraud, gang culture, mental illness, peer pressure, personal animosities, racism, revenge, suicide or truancy.

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Our approach

There are two types of approach to the Arson Task Force's work: identifying the types of fire committed and the community groups which are affected the most. This is how we categorise of groups and fires.

Types of fire

• all non-accidental fires
• dwellings 
• open land
• outdoor storage and structures
• refuse
• vehicles

Targeted groups

• key stage 3 secondary schools
• commerce and industry
• housing associations (including caretakers and wardens)
• borough councils and those employed by them
• places of worship
• rural areas
  

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Partnerships

The Arson Task Force have reduced the number of non-accidental fires through partnership working. Below is a list of some of the groups we work alongside.

Arson task force connected

• Crime and disorder reduction partnerhips anti-social behaviour groups
  neighbourhood watches
• Commercial
  traders associations
  individual businesses 
  
• Council
  abandoned vehicle scheme
  operation scrap IT/Cubit/Local car removal schemes
  closed circuit television
  councillors
  education departments
  environmental health
  housing
  wardens/caretakers
  parks and leisure
  wardens/police
  refuse
  collectors
  social services
• Crimestoppers
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Our colleagues in the London Fire Brigade
  arson liaison officers
  borough commanders
  fire stations
  firefighters
  station commanders
  watches
  community engagement officers
  fire investigation unit
  juvenille firesetters intervention scheme
  local intervention fire education (LIFE)
  schools team
  statutory fire safety
• Metropolitan Police Service
  borough forensic managers
  arson officers
  community safety teams
  victim support
  youth offenders team 
• Schools/education establishments
  caretakers
  heads
  students
  teachers

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Our strategy for reducing arson

We've developed an Arson Reduction Strategy to reduce the cause and effects of fire-related crime, to help improve the quality of your neighbourhoods, save you money and keep you safe from unnecessary risk. Our strategy for reducing arson compliments our Community Fire Safety Strategy.

We also have a Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Scheme designed to address fire setting behaviour amongst children and young people aged up to and including 17 years.

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Useful links

• The Arson Prevention Bureau
• International Association of Arson investigators
• Scrap-It Scheme
• Crime Reduction Toolkit
  

Useful documents

These links will take you directly to pdf documents on external websites.

• Department for Education and Skills
  Designing and Managing Against the Risk of Fire in Schools

• Environment Agency
  Fly Tipping and Illegal Waste Activities
  Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill

• Greater London Authority (GLA)
  The London Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy 2005 - 2008

• Home Office
  Safer Communities: Towards Effective Arson Control

• Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) formerly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)
  Arson Terminology
  The Economic Cost of Fire: estimates for 2003
  Vehicles Fires Explaining the Rise in Vehicle Arson
  The Burning Issue: Research and Strategies for Reducing Arson August 2002
  Application of the National Intelligence Model to arson Reduction work
  

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!adobe

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