The Butler County criminal justice system needs to get serious about the crime of arson. It's handling of a man convicted of several arsons would be laughable, if the crimes with which he has been involved were not so serious.

If the court system had done its job from the start, the latest crimes for which Philip Rienzi, 29, of Butler is accused would not have occurred — because he would have been in jail or some other supervised facility.

Rienzi, who is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 12 in Butler County Court on charges that he set two fires in Penn Township in September, has on his record convictions for setting fires in 2002 at a Center Avenue garage and in 2000 at a Dubois Street home, both in Butler. He also pleaded guilty in 2003 to a charge of risking a catastrophe in connection with a 2002 fire he set at a West Boyd Avenue home, also in the city.

Instead of years in prison for those convictions, Rienzi was dealt months. Thus, he was back on the streets in September, not only endangering property but also risking the well-being of firefighters summoned to extinguish the flames.

The county court system apparently needs to be reminded of the potentially deadly aspects of the crime in question. Hopefully, it will give the latest charges against Rienzi the tough attitude that they deserve.

Granted, Rienzi is innocent on the current charges until proven guilty. But the fact that the court system has to deal again with Rienzi on the same kind of serious charges for which he faced court action just a couple of years ago sends a troubling message regarding the county court's perception of the crime.

No one has as yet died as a result of Rienzi's penchant for starting fires. That is the only good thing that can be said about his crimes.

Whether his problems are the result of a criminal mind-set or mental problems, it's now the obligation of the court system to make a genuine — not halfhearted — effort to ensure that Rienzi's firebug days are over.