National Church Arson Task Force (NCATF)
The National Church Arson Task Force (NCATF) is a federal organization established in June 1996 in response to a significant rise in arson cases involving churches, particularly those attended by African Americans. Formed under the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives within the U.S. Department of Justice, the task force aims to enhance the coordination and efficiency of investigations across federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. President Bill Clinton initiated its formation, supported by the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996, which strengthened prosecutorial powers and increased penalties for church arson.
The NCATF has played a crucial role in improving the tracking of such crimes, revealing that while many incidents targeted African American churches, arson is not limited to them, affecting various ethnic and racial groups. The task force's investigations have shown that a significant percentage of perpetrators are young males, often not motivated by racial hatred. With access to trained agents and advanced technology, the NCATF has successfully investigated numerous cases, achieving a notably high arrest rate. Additionally, the task force is involved in preventive measures, providing resources and support for grassroots programs aimed at reducing church arson incidents.
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National Church Arson Task Force (NCATF)
DATE: Formed in June, 1996
IDENTIFICATION: Federal organization established to coordinate federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies in response to a dramatic increase in arson cases involving churches attended by African Americans.
SIGNIFICANCE: The coordination of church arson investigations among law-enforcement agencies made investigations of church arson cases more efficient.
President Bill Clinton called for the forming of the National Church Arson Task Force (NCATF) in June 1996. The agency was created within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under the umbrella of the US Department of Justice. Congress assisted the president’s efforts by passing the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996. This act gave prosecutors more power to prosecute church arson cases and increased penalties for the crime, which included fines, prison sentences, and the death penalty. The act also made the collection of data part of the federal government’s Uniform Crime Reports, a move that improved the tracking of bias-motivated crimes.
During the 1990’s, the number of arson attacks targeting African American churches increased, particularly in the South. Arson has traditionally been a difficult crime to track and prosecute. Before the creation of the NCATF, it was difficult for law-enforcement agencies to assess the full scope of the church arson cases because records were not well kept. Arson fires are sometimes mislabeled as accidents, and the motivations behind arson cases can be unclear. Hate crime data were not examined separately.
With the creation of the NCATF, improved collection and tracking of church arson data revealed that church arson is not confined to churches with primarily African American congregations; churches attended by other ethnic and racial groups are also targeted. Also, many perpetrators are not motivated by hate or racism to burn or bomb churches. Some perpetrators are motivated by revenge or simply by the love of setting fires. NCATF statistics have shown that more than 90 percent of perpetrators of church arson nationwide are male, more than 80 percent are white, and more than 50 percent are between the ages of fourteen and twenty-four. Moreover, only about half of all churches targeted by arsonists have been attended predominantly by African Americans.
The task force has at its disposal specially trained agents, chemists, and laboratories and uses computer technology to analyze information and determine whether church fires are arson cases. During its first year, the NCATF investigated 429 church burnings. Its rate was 35 percent—more than double the national arrest rate for arson. The NCATF was also actively involved in prevention efforts through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which established a clearinghouse for telephone inquiries and distributed arson prevention packets. The task force has also assisted in developing grassroots arson prevention programs.
Bibliography
Blackstock, Terri. Trial by Fire. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2000.
Johnson, Sandra E. Standing on Holy Ground: A Triumph over Hate Crime in the Deep South. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2005.
National Church Arson Task Force. First Year Report for the President. Washington, D.C.: US Department of the Treasury, 1996.
‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. Second Year Report for the President. Washington, D.C.: US Department of the Treasury, 1998.
"Recent Church Fires in Rockford Highlight Importance of Church Arson Prevention Act." Dalton & Tomich, 9 Nov. 2022, daltontomich.com/recent-church-fires-in-rockford-highlight-importance-of-church-arson-prevention-act/. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.