Teams Involved in an Arson Scene (1600 words)

You are a senior member of an arson investigations unit. You are being supported by newly assigned criminal investigators from a street crime unit, who don't have must experience in the investigation of arson crimes. These investigators have had training in the physical evidence collection process, but they look to you for legal guidance in terms of their presence in an arson scene. You must prepare guidelines for the new investigators to ensure that they are not violating the law and legally tainting evidence by their actions at the crime scene of an arson investigation.

Assignment Guidelines

Address the following in 3–5 pages:
Describe the crime scene parameters of an arson fire, including one where an explosive reaction may have occurred.
Identify the role of the fire department personnel and their authority at an arson fire.
What is the authority of the state fire marshal’s office or its equivalent? Explain.
What specific responsibilities does this agency have? Explain.
Explain to the investigators under your command what role the medical examiner or coroner has when a body is discovered at an arson scene.
Once the scene is declared safe by the fire department and the crime scene search can commence, under what circumstances can the investigators conduct a search? Explain.
What is to be done with a warrant if no property owner is available? Explain.
Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.

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Abstract
Fires occur without warning and it is important that officers working in police investigation departments and fire department be adequately informed not only about their responsibilities in the event of a fire but also of the legal technicalities that surround evidence collection and successful prosecutions of suspects. A critical concern is familiarity with the fourth amendment and its protection of individual rights as inscribed in the constitution. It is mandatory to obtain a search warrant and serve it to the property owners or their agents before embarking on evidence collection mission by the investigators. Failure to observe this critical rule leads to inadmissibility of the evidence by the judge which may technically not sustain a successful prosecution of the accused.

Introduction
The law defines arson fire as evidence of burning or presence of an explosive object or material which is capable of causing destruction on vessels, property, structures, and vehicles through willful means (uslegal.com, 2012). Investigations unit should therefore have a standard operation procedure to ensure that the scene of crime, arson in this case, is protected from destruction or interference from both external and natural causes to ensure that evidence collection is done thoroughly in a coordinated way....