Subdivision 1. Investigation, arrest, and prosecution. On determining that reasonable grounds exist to believe that a violation of sections 609.561 to 609.576 has occurred or that some other crime has occurred in connection with a fire investigated pursuant to section 299F.04, the state fire marshal shall so inform the law enforcement authority having jurisdiction, who shall cooperate with the fire marshal and local fire officials in further investigating the reported incident in a manner that may include supervising and directing the subsequent criminal investigation and taking the testimony on oath of all persons supposed to be cognizant of any facts relating to the matter under investigation. On determining that there is evidence sufficient to charge any person with a violation of sections 609.561 to 609.576, or of any other crime in connection with an investigated fire, the authority having jurisdiction shall have the person arrested and charged with the offense and furnish to the proper prosecuting attorney all relevant evidence, together with the copy of all names of witnesses and all the information obtained by the authority or the state fire marshal, including a copy of all pertinent and material testimony taken in the case.
Subd. 2. Information system. The state fire marshal shall maintain a record of arrests, charges filed, and final disposition of all fires reported and investigated under sections 299F.04 and 299F.05. For this purpose, the Department of Public Safety shall implement a single reporting system utilizing the systems operated by the fire marshal. The system must be operated in such a way as to minimize duplication and discrepancies in reported figures.
History:(5956) 1913 c 564 s 7; 1978 c 777 s 4; 1986 c 444; 2005 c 136 art 9 s 6