Public should be taught how to identify arsonists

I have lived in Southern California since 1978 and, as a result, have been witness to a large number of memorable catastrophic acts of God or nature, including earthquakes, rainstorms and mudslides, as well as wildfires.

Unfortunately, not all of the wildfires, past and present, were actually acts of God or nature. Some were, in fact, acts of arsonists.

The citizens of Southern California must not only reconcile themselves to the fact that arsonists live among us but we must also try and expose them before they perpetrate their mental illness on all of us, our properties and the lives of law enforcement professionals and firefighters.

I propose that experienced criminal profilers provide information for the general public on the crime of arson and the general personality characteristics of arsonists.

If this information becomes public knowledge by way of a concentrated public awareness campaign, perhaps we might have the opportunity to expose some of these individuals to law enforcement and mental health professionals before they commit their crimes. I am fully aware that actual arrest of such individuals would require establishment of probable cause, which might be difficult to do in many such cases.

As residents of a region likely to experience less (not more) rain in the near future, I believe that we must fully understand the crime of arson and the profile of individuals that commit arson to the point to which this knowledge becomes a part of our public consciousness.

We must be alert in our daytoday lives for arsonists to expose themselves to us by their words, their behavior, and/or their actions.

Failure to take this action will ensure continued and unacceptable loss of life and property, and increased insurance rates for all of us. Richard W. Woerpel Simi Valley