Posted: December 8th, 2022

Arsonists and Motives

Arsonists and Motives
You are a senior member of an arson investigation unit. You are being supported by newly assigned criminal investigators from a street crime unit, who do not have much experience in the investigation of arson crimes. These new investigators will be doing the interviewing of arson suspects. You have been asked by the agency director to provide a white paper for dissemination to the new investigators. The paper will contain the required components that differentiate arson from an accidental fire. Further, you must explain to the new investigators in the paper the various types of economic and psychological motives that exist, so they may best plan their interviews with the arson suspect.
In a white paper to the newly assigned investigators, please address the bulleted tasks listed below in the assignment guidelines. There are a number of arson investigator resources that are not found in academic journals that may be utilized as references in this assignment. It is critical that when making a statement of fact in your paper, you cite the reference you obtained the information from in the text of the paper and that the reference is included in your reference page.
Assignment Guidelines
Address the following in 7–9 pages:
Describe the elements of proof for an arson fire.
Identify and describe at least 2 distinct motives for individuals to commit arson. The motives you select should fall under 2 different categories listed below:
Social
Economic
Psychological
Provide a background of the type of person who is likely to commit arson for the motives you select.
Suggest to the investigators where they might develop leads on the suspect based on the type of arsonist he or she might be. Explain in detail.
If the investigators have the opportunity to search the residence and/or business of the suspect, what artifacts should they be aware of that would help them identify motives of the arsonist? Explain in detail.
Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.
Abstract
Fires occur quite too often and they cause grave damage to both property and human life. This paper will be analyzing the elements of proof that indicate that the fire accident was deliberate which will include;
• The nature of the fire will be analyzed through the three triangle aspect of fire inclusive of oxygen, source of fuel, and the heat.
• The firefighters
• Condition of doors and windows
• Physical evidence
Two distinct motives, economic and psychological, for an arsonist will be discussed in an effort to understand why an individual or individuals would engage in criminal activities. Based on the two motives, the type of person likely to become an arsonist will be highlighted as well as highlighting areas where investigators might develop leads given the nature of the arsonist. Finally, the paper shall identify how artifact such as appliances, incendiary devices, electrical systems, and fire debris can be used as leads to identify the motives of the arsonists. Other elements such as fire patterns, available fuels, ventilation condition, ignition sources, unusual fuels and ventilation will be discussed as well as the unusual actions by the suspects.

Introduction
Some fires are natural, while others occur due to human error. Investigations have to be made to determine the causes of the fires as some of them may have been due to deliberate actions and such fires, commonly known as arson fires, are a great threat to public safety (Icove & Hargrove, 2014). The investigations help to prevent the occurrence of future incendiary fires by taking the appropriate criminal justice procedures based on the objective analysis and sound evidence that is collected from the crime scene. The arson fires caused by the free will of the perpetrators are evidenced by confessions and eyewitnesses testimonies as well as physical evidence collected from the ground.

Elements of proof for an arson fire
One of the first elements to observe is fire. The fire triangle comprising of oxygen, source of fuel, and heat must be investigated as the three create and sustain the fire. For a fire to occur, the percentage of oxygen must be beyond 16%, anything flammable serves as fuel, and the heat should match the temperatures requires to ignite the fuel. An arsonist interferes with either of the three and therefore the investigators should look for any flammable material, accelerants such as kerosene, gasoline, or even alcohol. Open windows or holes on the ceiling and walls are an indication of the need to increase oxygen levels hence an indication of a deliberate act.

Firefighters are trained fire response experts and can detect even without evidence when a fire is accidental or induced. Anything that raises their suspicion such as physical evidence is what prompts the firefighter to consider the fire as arson. The color of the smoke may be investigated since different substances produce different smoke color which will aid the investigators to determine whether the substance could in a normal circumstance be found in the premises.

The condition of the doors and windows will help the investigators to determine arson. Signs of forced entry or open doors and windows could be an indicator of arson. Blocked windows and doors could be signs of concealing the fire until it fully consumes the structure by making it hard for firefighters to access the building.

When investigating the scene believed to be an arson site, the investigators should consider physical evidence available. Signs of accelerants such as containers in regions where the accelerant would normally not be found can be indicators of arson (Noon, 2017). To examine the area in question, the investigators should make use of a hydrocarbon vapour detector whereupon determining the presence of hydrocarbons; more sampling should be conducted and sent for further analysis in laboratories. Liquids should be poured on the floor to check the surface below the carpet wherein the case of a charring flow pattern, further examining should be made on the underlying sub-floor. Char patterns are an indication that a liquid was splashed on them. A lit match on the site of the incident could also be an indication of arson. Timed devices such as candles and cigarettes on a book of matches can be an indicator of some deliberate action. The investigators should check the computer, cell phones, and thermostats as they may be rigged to spark fire ignition when they are activated. The investigators should examine the location of the named devices in terms of whether they were at a reasonable location and whether they had been set to cause a fire. Finding a candle residue in the hallway is not a normal occurrence and could be an indicator of arson. Basically, the investigators should identify whether the point of origin of the fire was in a place where it would not occur as an indicator of arson.
Motives of Arsonists
According to Mojtahedi, more than 500,000 cases of arson are reported annually in the United States (Mojtahedi et al., 2017). The fires are caused by arsonists with various motives which could be economic or psychological among many other reasons.
Psychological motive
Expressive arson best describes the psychological motive behind the criminal activity which could be triggered by underlying developmental, emotional, and substance abuse implications as well as impulses and personality traits. Individuals with developmental implications explore the early childhood events in the life of the arson such as lack of early education, child abuse, and neglect which cause an individual to have faulty social skills could contribute to the deviant behaviour (Mojtahedi et al., 2017). Emotionally, arsonists have emotional distress whereby they struggle to express how they feel and will hence more likely to use deviant means such as starting a fire. Burning down a building is their way of expressing their anger towards an object instead of human beings. Substance abuse and more specifically alcohol can be linked to depression and consequently explaining why one would want to commit suicide through arson. Failure to control one’s id impulses can lead to committing arson because such a person has no right or wrong and has no time to rationalize their acts.
Economic motives
Arson for profit involves engaging in criminal activity due to the economic gain that the individual will gain as a reward. Monetary desires drive the individual to commit the crime where the profit may have a direct or indirect link with the offender. In a direct profit motive, the arsonist is also a victim in the destroyed property but there are reasonable gains from the arson. For example, a business person whose business is performing poorly may decide to burn down the premises in order to benefit from the insurance coverage. In this case, fraudulent insurance claims are involved. A person wishing to relocate to a better accommodation may choose to burn down their house for the benefit they hope to gain through the relocation. When it comes to the indirect profit motive, the offender is in no way attached to the property being destroyed hence no pseudo-victim role. A good example of an indirect profit motive is whereby a competitor may choose to burn down the business premises of the other to reduce competition in the market and enjoy more revenue. In residential arsons, mortgage lenders may choose to sue an individual for loses that may be incurred if housing prices decline before the individual completes the mortgage payment. In such an instance, the individual may plan arson to avoid repaying the losses they are being sued for. In some mean cases, firefighters who are paid on commission for every fire they respond to, they might organize a fire to receive commissions. It is therefore clear that people may be driven to commit arson by the need to acquire economic gain or to avoid economic implications.
Types of Arsonists
Revenge arsonists are the most common types of offenders in the field who engage in criminal activity after an argument or feeling of betrayal or jealousy. Most of the revenge offenders could be business competitors who are threatened by the thriving business of others and will hence burn the thriving business down in order to reduce competition. In some cases, a jealous lover may choose to burn down the property of the other person.

Vandalism is a category of arson committed by a person or a group of persons whose main agenda is to destroy property. Persons with irrational impulses may find themselves destroying property for no apparent reasons. Teenagers with poor emotional expressiveness may find joy in expressing themselves through criminal activities such as burning a school or vacant structures.
Insurance claim types of arsonists are in most cases pushed by financial strains to destroy their own property and claim insurance for the property (Li et al., 2014). The arsonists in most cases target their business premises if they are performing poorly so that they can get a refund of what they had invested in. Such people will most likely exaggerate the size of the business or the amount lost in the fire for larger financial gains.

Leads for Investigators
In the case of insurance fraud arsonists, the investigators should be keen to investigate how the business in the destroyed property was performing. The investigator should request for the financial record of the business for the past years to the most recent. A significant decline and accrued losses in the recent financial years should be an indication of a probable arson attack.
Vandalism should be very obvious since in most cases, the attacker lack appropriate motive for their criminal activity. The investigators should identify what exactly was destroyed, if it was a vacant house or a school, it is then a case of troubled teenagers trying to express their aggression and thrill. Alcohol bottles may be present in the scene because the offenders are in most cases intoxicated setting up the fire which is believed to help them enjoy the thrill more.
Artifacts in Arson Scene
The investigators should look for objects that may signify that the fire was intentionally induced such as matches, cigarettes, gasoline, kerosene, alcohol, and fire debris which should test positive for the presence of gasoline. Other items such as shavings, paper, and excelsior should be indicators of arson if found in odd places such a below the gas meter or under a stairway. Cords or strings that are saturated with flammable oils may be found in the crime scene, therefore, the investigators may use them as leads since they leave evidence which is easily discovered. The investigators should then examine the floor or the carpet for any trials or marks that show signs of burning on the floor. A candle surrounded by paper towels may be a good indicator of an intentional fire. Most arsonists seeking to destroy paper documents such as financial records will use this method. Devices such as a toaster, thermostat, a computer, or mobile phone may be investigated to find whether they had been tampered with to trigger ignition when they are switched on. It does not matter whether candles, gasoline, or tampered devices were used, the investigators should be able to collect the evidence, photograph it if possible for further analysis on the motive of the attacker.
Conclusion
An arsonist can be easily linked to the crime they committed by making use of the evidence collected such as traces of accelerants on their body as well as sustained burn injuries. Investigators should combine the traditional method of DNA testing with the use of physical evidence which will be equally effective in identifying an offender. Just like any other crime, arson is punishable by law and the investigators play a significant role in determining the type of sentence to be given to an offender based on the type of evidence they present.

References
Icove, D. J., & Hargrove, T. K. (2014). Project Arson: uncovering the true Arson rate in the United States. In International Symposium on Fire Investigation Science and Technology (Vol. 1, pp. 27-49).
Li, S. Y., Ni, S. J., & Shen, S. F. (2014). Risk analyzing on target type of arson attack. Procedia Engineering, 71, 502-511.

Mojtahedi, D., Prince, R. J., & Ryan, S. (2017). Making an Arsonist: A Psychological Approach to Understanding Expressive Arson. EC Psychology and Psychiatry, 4(3), 94-99.
Noon, R. K. (2017). Engineering analysis of fires and explosions. CRC Press.

Order | Check Discount