NEAFC 32nd Annual Conference.pdf - New England Association of ...

NEw ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF I~IRE CHIEFS
can discuss that, tomorrow, and a great many of you men ought to consider
that. And, we have brought up numerous other matters, here, which have
been resolved among us and which have gone forward to the N. F. P. A.,
the International Association and the National Board. I know that we all have
a very healthy respect for the New England Association of Fire Chiefs, and
we could be remiss if we failed to carry--on this progressive work.
In conclusion, may I thank the Panel, for they have taken it on the chin,
so to speak. And I want to thank the audience for their courteous attention,
for they not only have had to listen to the Panel, but they have had to listen
to me.
Thank you very much! Our part of the program is now adjourned!
(Applause.)
(President Fortier then resumed the Chair.)
PRESIDENT FOI~TIER:. Gentlemen, our speaker this afternoon is. Captain
Daniel A2 Murphy, Department of Public SaJ~ety, Detective of the Massachusetts
State Police, and he is going to address you on the subject of "Arson and
Related Offenses."
Captain Murphy! (Applause.)
CAI’XAII~ DAI~I~.V.A. MvI~I,I-I¥, Detective, Massachusetts State Police:
Mr. President, and members of the New England Association of Fire Chiefs,
and Guests.. The subject of my talk here, "Arson and Related Offenses," I
should like to refer to as instructive and informative. It has to do with one
of the oldest, primitive statutes known to man. It runs, along with the three
major crimes., murder, arson and rape.
This subject of "Arson and Related Offenses" is one that police officials,
as well as fire officials., apparently, do not recognize just where the jurisdiction
lies and the responsibility for the apprehension and detection, and then the
conviction of persons of this. nature.
It is closely related to the Fire Services because, like an officer on the beat,
the Fire Department is first to arrive at .the scene, and in that way, the preservation
of, evidence is naturally the first order of investigation. Like the officer
on the beat, he finds the presence of a _crime, and he will protect the evidence,
and, in doing that well; he does well his duty, because from there,, on, his responsibility
lies with other men of the Police Department, who are assigned
to investigative work.
The gathering of facts in arson cases is recognized as one of the toughest
crimes to combat. That is. the main reason that the set-up in Massachusetts,
as we have it .for the investigation of this type of work,, was
recognized, and the Legislature, in its wisdom, then, put it into the hands, of
trained police officers, whose duty at that time solely was. to combat incendiarism.
Then, following down through the years., this system still is in effect,
and it has proven over and over agairi that it behooves any Commonwealth or
State to recognize that, and to combat incendiarism as a separate and a dis.tinct
field in law, and in law enforcement. Indeed, it is a specialized field in
criminal investigation s .
With that preface, I will go into the subject and ’bring it more forcibly
to you..o
167