Arson, a crime of violence against people and property, is probably the most neglected crime in America today. In 1982, 122,610 arsons were reported. The growth of arson and the very low rate of arrests and convictions should be of great concern to all agencies of public safety. An arson task force can help, even in small jurisdictions. An arson task force is a unit made up of several police officers and firefighters who are cross-trained in arson detection and prosecution. The task force should have the assistance of an arson-conscious prosecuting attorney who can assist and advise the force on all legal matters. A police juvenile officer should be a task force member, because 38 percent of all persons arrested for arson (in 1981) were juveniles. Problems can occur in implementing an arson task force of both fire and police investigators due to departmental jealousies. The cross-training concept should help to alleviate this problem. If there is cooperation and a close working relationship between departments and job performances are clearly defined, the task force concept can succeed. In many jurisdictions, the experienced members of the arson task force will supply the sometimes inexperienced prosecutor with knowledge and information that will be beneficial to the prosecutor's courtroom preparation and presentation. Not every new attorney fresh out of law school understands the terminology associated with arson investigations. Unique investigative problems which can be handled most effectively by a carefully selected task force include thorough crime scene investigation, collection and preservation of evidence, standardization of reporting, and proper use of experts. Ten footnotes, eight references, and a chart are provided.