• Korean Security Journal
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• no.29
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• pp.139-162
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to compare with the general and behavioral characteristics between simple and serial arsonists using the data derived from Scientific Crime Analysis System, Criminal Filing Search System, and Crime Information Management System. The analysis and findings reported here are derived from data extracted from 160 arsonists arrested by police officer. The independent variables included such socio-economic characteristic as arsonists' gender, age, occupation, education level, and previous criminal records of arsonists, and finally the general characteristics of the scene of fire settings. The dependent variable is whether or not serial fire setter. To achieve the purpose, the analysis of frequencies and cross-tab were conducted. According to frequence and cross-tab analysis, there are great differences of the general and behavior characteristics between two groups. In the comparison of simple and serial arsonists, serial arsonists are more likely to have previous criminal records, low socio-economic status, unmarried and no cohabitants than simple arsonists. furthermore, serial arsonists are more likely to use garbage papers for fire setting in the scene of the crime, to have mental or psychological problems, and to get involved in fire setting for the psychological pleasure than simple arsonists do. The present research has some obvious limitations. First, the analysis is based only on arsonists arrested by police officers. These may be considerable differences in arsonists arrested by police officers and fire setters not arrested by them. Additional research is needed to assess the extent to which these findings would apply to fire setters not arrested by police officer in Korea. Secondly, the data in this study are cross-sectional and simple cross-tab analysis are used. Potential limitation of cross-sectional data concerns the inability to specify the changes in measures as arsonists behavioral characteristics. Therefore, further studies need to use longitudinal data and more complicate statistical techniques such as correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, or LISREL models to specify the casual relationships between dependent and independent variables for fire settings. Even if this study has some limitations, it is meaningful in which it first investigated the comparison of simple and serial arsonists focusing on the general and behavioral characteristics between two groups in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Fire Investigation
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2006

2004년 2월~5월까지 대구시 달서구 00동 소재에서 연쇄방화가 발생 되어 수사를 하여 오던 중 우리경찰서에서 다방면으로 수사하여 차량화재 방화범 000를 검거 후 기소한 상태에서 공판이 진행되던 과정에서 변호인 측에서 일회용 라이터로는 차량을 착화 또는 발화의 가능성이 현저히 어렵다는 이유로 피고인의 무혐의를 주장하는 변론이 제기되어 00지방검찰청 000 담당검사의 요청에 의하여 혐의를 입증하고 검증할 수 있는 자료를 제출하고 검증자료가 없으면 본 건의 조건에 따르는 실험을 실시하고 감정결과를 제출하라는 지휘에 의거 우리경찰서 과학수사팀에서는 차량(프라이드)을 1대 구입하여 지방경찰청 과학수사팀, 국립과학수사구소 남부분소 이공학실 화재 연구실과 연계하여 차량화재 실험을 실시하고 실험과정 및 발화 행태와 양상을 구체적으로 증명할 수 있는 자료를 조사연구 분석하고 국립과학수사 연구소에서는 00지방검찰청에 촬영 데이터 원본영상과 촬영물, 그리고 감정서를 작성, 실험 결과를 문서화하여 제출하여 혐의를 입증한 사례 연구로 피의자에 대한 혐의 입증시 상황이나 정황 증거보다 실체적 진실증거의 중요성을 재인식 하고자 한다.