Zgorzelec criminal investigators dealing with property crime analyzed cases involving the arson of rubbish bins. – The incidents took place in February and March this year in the city of Zgorzelec and posed a threat to residents, as the fire could have spread to nearby buildings or vehicles – says Superintendent Agnieszka Goguł, press officer for the Commander of the District Police Headquarters in Zgorzelec. – The actions undertaken in this case made it possible to identify the perpetrator and consequently arrest him.
On the basis of the evidence collected, including a procedural experiment conducted with the participation of the detainee, officers from the Investigation Department brought four charges against the 17-year-old resident of Zgorzelec County. The spokesperson said: – All of them concerned damage to property, with the perpetrator acting without reason and grossly violating the legal order, which constitutes a hooligan offence. Using a flammable substance, the young man set fire to 16 waste-segregation containers, causing losses of more than PLN 8,000.
Police officers:
Setting rubbish bins on fire is not only an act of vandalism, but a serious crime that may lead to tragic consequences. Perpetrators of such acts face up to 5 years in prison. However, if the offence was hooligan in nature, the court imposes the penalty prescribed for the offence attributed to the perpetrator at an amount no lower than the statutory minimum increased by half, and orders compensation to be paid to the injured party, unless it orders the damage to be repaired.