Detroit has six certified arson investigators to handle a caseload that usually includes about 5000 suspicious fires every year. The result is the Detroit Fire Department has a tough time proving arson.
WXYZ: "I think people just kind of say it's just another fire and they think they can get away with it, and a lot of times, unfortunately, that is true," said Detroit Fire Captain Charles Simms.
Members of Detroit Fire Department's arson squad are some of the best trained and most experienced arson investigators in the country. The problem lies in staffing. Even the department currently is budgeted for 16 investigators, right now, they only have six certified to do the job.
The problem has become so bad that insurance companies are raising money to fund a dedicated Wayne County prosecutor for arson cases.
