Hudson Valley Arson and Explosives Task Force established

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, in conjunction with the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently announced the creation of the Hudson Valley Arson and Explosives Task Force, a regional initiative created to facilitate the criminal prosecution of fire, arson and explosives cases and to assist law enforcement and agency partners amid increases fire activity in Orange County, as well as those in adjacent counties.

According to Hoovler’s announcement on the matter, the ATF is sponsoring a series of trainings for area emergency service providers with fire investigation duties, citing the recent retaliatory arson involving a New York State Trooper as evidence of a continuing need to prosecute arson cases and deter future crimes. The free training is designed to assist fire investigation personnel in meeting the new legal standard for criminal prosecutions. The goal is to improve the quality of fire investigations and arson prosecutions.

The training, conducted by ATF personnel and explosives industry experts, will be held one evening per month in Goshen.

Any police or fire agencies with questions can call Task Force Officer in Charge Vincent Spampinato at 845-923-3677 or email him at vspampinato@orangecountygov.com.