ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 19, 1997 TAG: 9701200142
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
WASHINGTON
NOT ONLY ARE MORE ARRESTS being made, torched churches are being rebuilt through the efforts of individuals, community groups, businesses and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In the seven months since President Clinton ordered federal oversight of investigations into a rash of church burnings, authorities have made 104 arrests - eight times the previous rate, the government reported Saturday.
The fires ``offended every citizen who cherishes America's proud heritage of religious and ethnic diversity,'' Clinton said in heralding the report issued by the Treasury and Justice departments on behalf of the National Church Arson Task Force.
The task force was created last summer to oversee state and local authorities prosecuting church arson. Of all the 143 suspects arrested since Jan. 1, 1995, in connection with 107 church fires, 48 suspects have been convicted. As of last week, there were 221 pending investigations where no arrests had been made.
Before the task force was created, authorities averaged just 13 arrests every six months.
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., dean of the congressional black caucus, called the progress a turning point, but added, ``we cannot let our success get in the way of our vigilance.''
In his weekly radio address, Clinton also saluted the individuals, community groups and businesses that worked with the Department of Housing and Urban Development on a rebuilding initiative that included $10 million in federal loan guarantees.
Ten churches were being rebuilt at the close of 1996, with 30 more churches now under construction.
``They have shown us that America is still a country that cares about its neighbors - a country that comes together in the face of common threats to defend the common ground of our values,'' Clinton said.
In the wake of the fires that sparked fear of a racist conspiracy to destroy black churches, the Justice Department and Federal Emergency Management Agency spent nearly $4 million to beef up investigations, surveillance and prevention efforts.
Senior administration officials stressed Saturday that they could not establish any over-arching criminal plan connecting the fires.
``To date, the investigations have revealed a range of motives, from blatant racism and religious hatred to financial profit, to personal revenge or vandalism,'' the report said.
There have been more than 70 suspicious fires at church properties belonging to predominantly black congregations in Southern states since 1995. An equal number of fires have been reported at white churches in the region, where white churches outnumber black churches.
One of the most recent arsons happened two days before Christmas at a predominantly black church in Tillman, S.C.
Of the people arrested nationwide since 1995 specifically for arsons at black churches, 35 were white and 17 were black.
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