Arson Theory

Arson is the willful and malicious burning or charring of property. Arson crimes come in many different and questionable forms such as: setting fire to one 's property with the intent on receiving insurance money, individuals may set fire to a building to cover up evidence of another crime. Arson crimes are not limited to just setting buildings ablaze, the crime can be extended to setting fires to a forest or to a boat. Arson laws typically categorize arson as a felonious offense because it has to the potential to be life-threating to others in the area. (Burton, McNiel, & Binder, 2012, p. 2) There are six reasons classified that can be associated with fire setters: Profit, Vandalism, Revenge, Crime Concealment, Excitement and Extremism.

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Beginning arsonist usually pick private targets and locations such as uninhibited/empty buildings or old unused automobiles. Vandalism fires are usually caused by the juvenile delinquents. These types of fires are habitually the result of peer pressure or gang initiation. In the class textbook “Criminological Theory” Rational Choice Theory would be the best theory to use in this incident. “Rational Choice Theory is a perspective that criminologist adapted from economists, who used it to explain a variety of individual decisions regarding a variety of behaviors.” (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 56-57) The Arsonist knows exactly what they are doing is wrong and unlawful yet they do it

Those crimes are but not limited to: homicide, burglary, or an attempt to burn important papers that can be used against someone if they fall into the wrong hands. In the mind of an arsonist they think that by burning the place down that all of the tangible evidence or the identity of the victim will be unsalvageable or hard to identify once the fire is put out. Although, this might be true indeed fires will burn whatever it can it will burn some evidence of the crime; however guns, knives and bullets will survive a fire to certain degree. With vehicular fires victims have been located in the passenger and cargo area. Detectives are taught to investigate and scrutinize every detail so checking the passenger and trunk are may prove to be very vital in the helping of solving the