Rewards Offered in Effort to Catch School Arsonist

A statewide program offering rewards of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a school arsonist has been unveiled by an insurance company that covers most California schools.

“They have to realize that this crime is not going to be tolerated--that they may well be turned in by one of their peers who will remain anonymous and has a financial incentive,” said Bruce Holton of Industrial Indemnity Co.

Announcement of the program, to be coordinated with WeTIP, a crime-fighting group that relays anonymous information to police, was made at Los Lomas High School, in an area flanked by charred debris from an arson fire that caused about $1.2 million in damage.

Industrial Indemnity paid more than $15 million for losses from school fires in the state in 1986 and 1987, company officials said.

In 1986, fire damage to California school buildings and supplies exceeded $12 million, said Howard Godfrey, supervising arson and bomb investigator for the state fire marshal’s office. That is the last full year for which such statistics are available.

More than $8.3 million of the $12 million came from fires that had been set. Another $1.3 million came from fires whose origins were considered suspicious, Godfrey said.

“The objective is not only to catch arsonists,” said Holton, “it is to give arsonists and potential arsonists a very clear message: Burn a school and you will get burned.”

Bill Brownell of WeTIP said anonymity is used as a shield for those fearing reprisal for their reports.

Posters advertising the reward program will be tacked up at schools, offering the toll-free WeTIP telephone number: 800 47-ARSON.

“Certainly it can’t do anything but help,” said Sara Newll of the Walnut Creek School District Board. “I can see nothing negative coming out of this.”

Last fall arson fires caused $1 million damage at Muirwood School and $500,000 damage at Walnut Creek Intermediate School, both in the Walnut Creek School District.