Arson reward money announced

Terry Richards, The Valdosta Daily Times, Ga.
·1 min read

Nov. 6—VALDOSTA — City officials gathered at Valdosta's main fire station Monday to announce reward money that had been issued in an arson case, as well as to highlight inter-agency cooperation in arson investigations.

Two people who wished to remain anonymous were recently awarded a total of $5,500 for turning in information that led to an arrest and conviction in an arson case, said Kenneth Lecroy, a consultant with the Georgia Arson Control organization

While not going into specifics about which case was involved, Lecroy said GAC presents, on average, 15 reward checks per year.

"Often information from a witness makes a trial really unnecessary," he said.

Valdosta Fire Chief Brian Boutwell said about 70% of the city's fires are accidental, with about 5% being ruled suspicious or unknown origin.

He praised the cooperation between the Valdosta Fire Department, the police department and the GAC.

"Every structure fire in the city gets an immediate investigation," he said.

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.