The Fire Next Time: Computer Weapon : State arson information network would be well worth the cost

A suspected arsonist in Santa Clara County believes he is being watched by local fire authorities. So he heads south to Los Angeles County--unbeknown to police and fire authorities here. He eventually ends up in Florida, but only after he ignites fires in both California counties.

Tragically, this story is true. Had California fire officials access to statewide data on arson suspects, including detailed information on their vehicles and the fire-causing devices they favor, these blazes might have been prevented.

For years fire departments up and down California have sought to create a relatively low-cost statewide arson information network. The state Justice Department has even designed such a network, but it long has been stalled for lack of funding and legislative support.

With arson the suspected cause of up to 19 of the 26 recent Southern California fires, the ability of fire officials to track and share information on causes of suspicious fires is more critical than ever. Now is the time to create the database.

The proposed arson information network would provide critical law enforcement data, especially if housed in the state Justice Department. Serial or professional arsonists can be quietly tracked through information that reveals a pattern in suspicious fires.

Local fire departments do some of this work on their own. But imagine what they might uncover if departments could share their data. Arson may look like a simple crime, yet its perpetrators often are elusive. More sophisticated detective work would be possible with today’s computer technology. What’s needed is authority and funding from Sacramento.

Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) has a two-year bill--AB 2336--that will be taken up again by the Legislature in January. It needs refinement and retooling, but basically it would fund an arson information network by levying a small surcharge (a maximum of $1) on insured structures throughout the state. Local and state fire authorities want--and need--such a database kept by the state Justice Department. Pete Wilson’s arson task force is likely to recommend a legislative measure similar to Katz’s when it meets with the governor this week.

Firefighters need other help, too. L.A. City Council Member Zev Yaroslavsky introduced a motion last Tuesday to lift the hiring freeze on the Los Angeles Fire Department so that staffing can rise to meet mounting public health and safety demands. As many as 156 firefighter positions have been vacant since the freeze began two years ago, straining the department’s already stretched resources. The City Council should vote to lift the freeze on the Fire Department when it meets Tuesday.