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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Habit crimes: PA bill would treat arsonists like sex offenders

State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Centre (that's up around Penn State), said today he's re-introduced a bill, HB 2084, to "create a statewide registry of convicted arsonists by requiring them to register their name, Social Security number and contact information with local authorities" that would "help police forces track where convicted arsonists live and work... Arson is known to be a habitual crime." The bill's in the House Judiciary Committee.

I asked if arsonists would be as easy to look up as PA sex offenders, who are also seen as potential repeat criminals.

The arson register would indeed resemble the "Megan's Law" sex criminal registry, with the major difference that "access would be granted to law enforcement agencies only," not the public, Conklin aide Tor McCartney told me. "Studies have shown that those convicted of arson are more than 50 percent likely to repeat the crime, so we think this would be another added tool to help the authorities.  We have had over 30 arsons in the past months here in Central Pennsylvania."

Arson isn't just a crime against property, McCartney added, citing one case where volunteer fireman Roy Westover died of a heart attack fighting an arson blaze.  

"Will this stop arsons?  No, but we think it will help.  It is modeled after a law in California."
Posted by Joseph N. DiStefano @ 12:22 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About Joseph N. DiStefano
Joseph N. DiStefano writes this blog to feed his PhillyDeals column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Joe has been a member of Bloomberg LP’s New York Finance Team, wrote the book “Comcasted,” taught writing at St. Joseph’s University, and studied economics and history at Penn. Reach Joe at 215-854-5194 and JoeD@phillynews.com
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