A Brief Note On Violent Crime, Taught By Professor Thad Clancy

Again in March of 1989, an outbreak of fire coincided with another arson investigators conference. At the scene the same filter-tipped cigarette and matches,

In the last few months, we 've noticed that more local governments - from the villages to the big cities - have been complaining about "shortfalls" in their tax revenues. Even those that raised taxes find they 're not collecting as much as they expected because weakening economic conditions have resulted in fewer business and property owners being able to pay their tax bills. Those that handed out tax breaks a few years ago are in even worse shape and those in regions hit hard by the mortgage banking scandal have become disaster areas. Experience also has shown that an arson wave seems to accompany a recession. In fact, an increase in arson cases is one way of confirming that a recession has arrived. Its the so-called "solution" some people turn to when they 're about to lose everything they own and all that 's left is the insurance on a business or a home. And, just when a fire department needs more trained arson investigators on the street, some have to cut back in order to put every available body on the understaffed engine and truck companies. Get ready for more and bisser fires. (Bruno, 2008, p.26).

     The fire spread from the O’Learys’ barn to the yards nearby. Soon it was spreading throughout the neighborhood. William Lee, a neighbor a block away, saw the fire and ran to Bruno Goll’s drugstore to turn in the fire alarm. Bruno Goll refused to turn in the alarm because he said the fire truck had already gone past. So instead of arguing, Lee went home to his family. At the courthouse the lookout on duty saw smoke, but thought nothing of it, thinking it was just Saturday's fire and there was no reason to be alarmed. Then he looked up and noticed it was a different fire and had his assistant strike the Box 342 for the fire department. Soon fire trucks were at the scene and attempted to put out the fire. The fire department’s Chief Marshal, Robert A. Williams got the engines to circle the fire to contain it. They got as close to the fire as they could until their arm hair was being burned and their

Violent crimes happen every day in America, yet the full scope of why and how they happen are not understood by many outside of law enforcement. But within the ranks of law enforcement and the criminal justice system itself, violent crimes are examined and analyzed at length to determine both how and why the incident occurred, as well as what can be done in the future to prevent a similar event from reoccurring. Investigators use multiple methods and seek various explanations as to why a violent crime occurs. This literature will look at some of those things that investigators try to sort out in the aftermath of a violent crime, such as the killer’s modus operandi and signatures, his psychology, relation to his victims, and how the effect of gender, race, or culture might impact his violent behavior.

The county fire marshal Alan Carson, saw the fire around 1.30 am and he defined the fire was a big one. Added that the weather and

One man saw the fire and tried to get someone to use the fire box to get the fire department to send a fire truck. Sadly he had no such luck in notifying them. Fire boxes were boxes located on the street corner for people to use to alert the closest fire department, because telephones were not commonly available at that time. The other man just insisted that a fire truck had probably already been called and was on its way. The fire was so destructive because there were many mistakes and dangerous

Facts: A fire was evolved on September 23, 1981 in a log cabin due to a hot plate. The hot plate was left on with an accelerant and kerosene near by. The owner of the cabin, Henry Xavier Kennedy was convicted of Arson as he obtained an insurance policy for $40K on the cabin five days prior to this fire and police found evidence that the construction business owned by Mr. Kennedy was losing money, and Mr. Kennedy's alibi was insufficient to eliminate him as a suspect.

The Ohio State Penitentiary fire claimed the lives of many in 1930. The fire was set with the intent of causing a distraction to allow a few to escape the prison walls. This did not go to plan and instead, the prison was set ablaze when everyone was locked securely in their cells for the evening. It quickly got out of control and the fire, combined with poor prison conditions, lead to the death of 322 victims becoming the worst prison fire in the world at the time. From this tragedy, new fire codes were developed as well as new measures taken in the prison system to assure such a situation never happen again. The country hasn’t faced a tragedy like this since.

For years if not decades, firefighters have responded to a reported structure fire that turned out to be a fully involved single room. This fire scenario requires a core set of fire tactics and skills to control and extinguished the fire, but is it this simple? Perhaps twenty years it may have been, but new dangers are lurking in every scenario and may have detrimental outcomes for unsuspecting and unaware firefighters and victims. The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) agency along with the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) have been conducting research to understand fire behavior and fire dynamics. This research is providing firefighters with new information about how and why

a. Imagine asking 100 strangers to describe a criminal. Predict whether those descriptions would be likely to focus on street criminals, or the variety of topics covered in this video.

The most common motive as to why arson fires are committed is for financial gains. According to U.S. Fire Administration Topical Fire Research Series, “The general public typically views arson as an insurance concern, primarily a paper crime of fraud mostly affecting insurance companies” (usfa.fema.gov). Many think that the easiest way to get insurance funds is by setting fires on their own properties or areas where they know will soon affect their section. Firefighters on the other hand, believe that they can easily get away with arson cases because no one would look directly towards an emergency fire responder as the criminal.

A small percentage arsonists are driven by a mental condition known as pyromania, which is an irresistible urge to set fires combined with an intense fascination for flames (Bartol & Bartol). These fire setters claim they have no control over their fire setting impulses.

As the nineties began, the general theory of crime became the most prominent criminological theory ever proposed; furthermore, it is empirically recognized as the primary determinant in deviant and criminal behaviors. Known also as the self-control theory, the general theory of crime can most simply be defined as the absence or lack of self-control that an individual possesses, which in turn may lead them to commit unusual and or unlawful deeds. Authored by educator Michael R. Gottfredson and sociologist Travis Hirschi, A General Theory of Crime (1990) essentially “dumbed down” every theory of crime into two words, self-control. The widely accepted book holds that low self-control is the main reason that a person initiates all crimes, ranging from murder and rape to burglary and embezzlement. Gottfredson and Hirschi also highlighted, in A General Theory of Crime (1990), that low self-control correlates with personal impulsivity. This impulsive attitude leads individuals to become insensitive to deviant behaviors such as smoking, drinking, illicit sex, and gambling (p. 90). The extreme simplicity, yet accuracy, of Gottfredson’s and Hirschi’s general theory of crime (self-control theory), make it the most empirically supported theory of criminal conduct, as well as deviant acts.

Arson is one of the world’s oldest known crimes. It can cost a life or a generous amount of money in damages. Even though it can take a person’s life, arson is classified as a property crime to law enforcement agencies. It is time consuming and very difficult to investigate. Only twenty percent of arrests result in a conviction because it is classified as a “property crime” rather than a violent crime. The motives of arson range from profit to murder. People who use arson use it because it’s a quick easy act of terrorism to a person or company they are trying to hurt. I believe there should be more and better adequate training for investigators and prosecutors to put away the people that can commit such crime. Arson is committed for many reasons including insurance fraud and revenge. My theory is that the leading reason for arson is for people to gain money are to cover up a murder. And the elderly is perfect target for these types of crimes because older people are unworldly about financial matters and with the new advances in technology have made managing finances more complicated so in trusting a young care to help they just put them at risk to become a victim. And the people

Many people have different theories as to why crime exists. Some believe crime happens because of the individual’s culture, education (or lack there of), or even their race. Others believe crime is associated with whom we surround ourselves with. There are three sociological theories that suggest why crime happens in society; they are social learning theory, social control theory, and social reaction (labeling) theory. These theories suggest it is our relationships and social interactions that influence our behavior.