WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987;
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DETECTION MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPON AGAINST ARSON
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THE MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPON IN COMBATTING ARSON IS THE SUCESSFUL DETECTION AND PROSECUTION OF OFFENDERS, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI, MR JEAFFRESON SAID TO DESIGN MEASURES TO PREVENT ARSON WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. ARSON WAS A DELIBERATE CRIMINAL ACT.
+ONLY RARELY DOES NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE VICTIM CONTRIBUTE TO THE OFFENCE. MANY INCIDENTS ARE BELIEVED TO BE THE RESULT OF VANDALISM OR DOMESTIC DISPUTES, HE SAID.
MR JEAFFRESON SAID FIRE SERVICES OFFICERS WERE TRAINED TO DETECT EVIDENCE OF ARSON.
IN 1983 THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAD ENGAGED A SPECIALIST IN INVESTIGATING ARSON TO CONDUCT COURSES FOR SELECTED OFFICERS.
BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR ALL OPERATIONAL FIRE OFFICERS WOULD HAVE UNDERGONE SPECIALIST TRAINING, WHICH WAS NOW PART OF THE THREE-YEAR TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR PROBATIONARY STATION OFFICERS.
IN ADDITION, 12 OFFICERS HAD COMPLETED ATTACHMENT TO THE FIRE AND DETECTION UNIT OF THE LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
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QUOTING NUMBERS OF ARSON CASES IN THE PAST YEARS, MR JEAFFRESON SAID, IN 1986, 490 FIRES WERE SUSPECTED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO HAVE BEEN STARTED DELIBERATELY, COMPARED WITH 463 IN 1985 AND 394 IN 1984.
+THE POLICE INVESTIGATED ALL THESE INCIDENTS AND CLASSIFIED AS ARSON 358 IN 1986, COMPARED WITH 220 IN 1984 AND 283 IN 1985.+
HE SAID THE DEPARTMENT HAD SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAMS TO LOOK INTO THE CAUSES OF FIRES IF THE CAUSES WERE NOT CLEAR TO THOSE ACTUALLY FIGHTING THE FIRES.
+WHEN THE DEPARTMENT SUSPECTS ARSON, OR AS A MATTER OF COURSE FOR FIRES OF THIRD ALARM OR ABOVE IN INDUSTRIAL PREMISES, THE DEPARTMENT PASSES THE CASE TO THE POLICE FOR INVESTIGATION.
+STAFF OF THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP. ALL CONCERNED PREPARE A FULL REPORT,+ HE ADDED.
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