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A JOINT police and fire service unit aimed at preventing and convicting deliberate fire-setters has secured further funding after a successful pilot year.Nearly 12 months after the Hampshire Arson Task Force was set up, the unit is having a dramatic impact on the conviction and arrest rate for arson offences.
The unit provides specialist support and guidance to fire and police colleagues involved in the investigation of deliberate and serious fires across the county. The team’s remit includes identifying emerging patterns and trends, pinpointing potential offenders through intelligence-gathering, advis-ing police on appropriate lines of enquiry, and assisting with fire scene examinations.
Between 2 April 2007 and 25 January 2008, the task force assisted with 124 investigations, deploying to 69 of them. Of the incidents they contributed to, 39% resulted in the arrest of suspects and 15% in a conviction/detention. Of the 69 incidents the unit deployed to, 40 (58%) resulted in arrests being made and, of those resulting in an arrest, 16 (23%) led to a detention.
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