The Arson Task Force has received the Outstanding Accomplishment Award from the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) in their 2020 awards, beating fire services from 80 other countries around the world.
The award is for the culmination of innovative work in multi-agency collaboration to drive down arson in Hampshire. The team’s dedicated fire investigation techniques and highly professional evidence gathering has recognised them as the most successful task force in the UK.
The Arson Task Force is made up of fire investigators from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Hampshire Constabulary. The initiative was established in 2007 with the aim of determining how fires start and reducing arson within the county. The team have also been supported by their canine colleagues Saxon, Millie, Harvey, Ruby, Hoodie and current trainee Louis.
In 2006, the conviction rate for arson in Hampshire was 3%. Now with the task force at hand, conviction rates in 2019 have shot up to an impressive 85%. In total, over 2,600 arsonists have been removed from communities and are serving nearly 600 years of prison time.
The Arson Task Force also regularly share skills and give advice to the police and military, and teach internationally at universities.
A notable case the team have worked on was the 22-year jail sentence handed to Karen Lyle in 2014. The 50-year-old had been slowly poisoning her husband with anti-depressants before eventually setting fire on him whilst sleeping. Thankfully her husband, Andrew, was saved because he woke up during the attack. Lyle had denied attempted murder but was convicted by a jury.
Another example is a female security guard being jailed for causing one of the biggest fires in Basingstoke’s history in 2010.More than 100 firefighters were required to tackle a blaze at a construction site on Brighton Hill, which resulted in a six-year conviction.
Leader of the Arson Task Force, Station Manager Dave Clements said:
“I was delighted to receive notification from the UK-AFI that our Arson Task Force has been recognised on the international stage.
“Their tireless work in arson reduction, collaborative detection and prosecution techniques is deserving of the acknowledgement.
“It is a massive congratulations to the whole team, past and present, which I have the pleasure of leading.”