St. Paul Arson Team Recognized For 'Superior Service'

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It's National Arson Awareness Week, and in recognition of it the city of St. Paul is honoring its team of investigators for leadership, teamwork and hard work.

The city's arson investigation unit is a partnership between the fire and police departments, as well as the Ramsey County Attorney's Office. Together the group has cut back significantly on arson cases.

In the past ten years, arson arrests have increased by 41 percent. But, since 2007 arson fires in St. Paul have decreased by 48 percent.

On Wednesday, members of the St. Paul arson team were recognized for making arrests such as the one of Gregory Knox December 2014 and, for what the fire department calls, "superior service."

For every arson, the teams spends hours photographing scenes, conducting interviews with witnesses and suspects in order to build a case as well as get a conviction.

"When we get guilty pleas we don't have to ask people to testify. They feel a lot safer and a lot more comfortable coming forward with information," Sgt. Candice Jones said.

The Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Sarah Coy is a lead expert in preparing and prosecuting arson cases. Coy has even gone through specialized training specifically for this.

"Arson is the kind of crime that shatters faith and trust in communities and that is why I'm so proud of the work we're doing here," St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said.

Coy was recognized individually in Wednesday's ceremony.