Arson Task Force

The Arson Task Force is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Govt through the Arson Control Forum which brings together the Fire and Rescue Service, police and and government departments, to reduce arson-related deaths, injuries and damage.

Our aim is to reduce the number of non-accidental fires in the top 60 wards in London, and to reduce the number of deliberate fires by 10 per cent by March 2010.

This page gives information about our aims and how we are reducing arson through education and partnership groups. Choose from the following:

• motives for arson and targeted groups
• arson and the law
• partnerships
• education
• Crimestoppers
• contacts
  

The motives for arson and targeted groups

What motivates someone to commit arson? Motives can be categorised into six main areas: vandalism, excitement, revenge, crime concealment, profit and extremism.

Find out more about what motivates people to commit arson.

The victims of arson or 'targeted groups' are varied according to the reasons that drive the act of arson. There are five main types of fires that the ATF are focussing their arson reduction work on: dwellings, outdoor storage and structures, refuse, vehicles and open land.

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Arson and the law

Arson is strictly speaking a criminal act defined by the Criminal Damage Act 1971 and only offences that meet the definition of the act can be properly termed arson. The act of arson is also an antisocial activity which is included in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

You can find more information on the Crown Prosecution Service website:

• The Criminal Damage Act
• Damaging property/arson with intent to endanger life/recklessness

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Partnerships

We cannot achieve our aim by just working within our own arson reduction group. We need support and input from all our borough commanders, specifically with the highlighted 18 boroughs, crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs), Metropolitan Police, other law enforcement agencies, for example, the British Transport Police, council departments and private companies.

Together these partnerships can identify problem areas, develop working relationships and locate staff who are able to implement initiatives to support the aim.

The ATF practitioners tailor their work to the individual problems of each borough, producing data and written reports to qualify the exact areas to be targeted. Arson Reduction Action Plans (ARAPs) [ PDF 38kb] are produced for all initiatives and successes as well as for monitoring and evaluating. These examples of 'good practice' can then be used in other areas across London.

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Education

We aim to raise awareness of arson within the partnership groups by finding ways to overcome problems and help move arson prevention forward. We have developed presentations to four of our main target groups to help get our messages across. These are:

Key stage 3, secondary schools [ PDF 23kb] 
Commerce and industry  
Housing associations (wardens and caretakers) 
Councillors and local government staff
There is also a standard feedback form [ PDF 63kb]for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

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Crimestoppers

We are also working in partnership with Crimestoppers and specific projects are under way to make sure that a greater number of arson related incidents are reported.

Find out more about crimestoppers at http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

Contacts

You can get in touch with any of our staff in the Arson Task Force by using our email address.

• Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest
  Sue Douglass
• Hillingdon, Hounslow, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow
  Selina Khakee
• Enfield, Haringey, Islington, Brent, Camden
  Mike Logan 
• Bromley, Bexley, Croydon, Southwark, Wandsworth, Richmond
  George Laing
• Tower Hamlets, Barnet, Hackney, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, City of London
  Claire Purton
• Greenwich, Lewisham, Merton, Lambeth, Sutton, Kingston
  Bob Bray
  
  Manager - Peter Mansi
  020 7587 6324
  
  

!adobe

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