Hurricane season and crimes.

5 Common Crimes Committed During Hurricane Season

As devastating and harmful natural disasters and hurricanes can get, it’s impossible to believe that some people would want to worsen the situation. Whether people are trying to provide for their families or take advantage of law enforcement having their hands full, it seems the same common crimes are committed when the threat of hurricanes arise. The following are crimes commonly committed during or in the aftermath of hurricanes:

Looting

Looting is described as the taking of goods from places during a catastrophe or riot such as during a war or natural disaster. Looting, which is also known as robbing and pillaging, can be of essentials items such as food and water during a catastrophe or of material goods such as expensive clothes and jewelry. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, massive looting was a large problem for police and law enforcement as the city was left in ruins and food and water was not available by other means. Non-essential items played large parts in looting such as the theft of beer, televisions, and designer clothing.

Price gouging

Price gouging is described as a situation in which a seller or store prices products and goods much higher than that is normal or fair. Price gouging often occurs when the public is preparing for an upcoming hurricane; prices go up on necessities because the suppliers know that certain items need to be purchased and they can make more of a profit when prices are increased. This practice is also common following natural disasters as supplies are scarce, and they are likely to be sold for a much higher price. Price gouging is seen in many places and instances and many states urge people who are unfairly raising prices in these situations to contact the property authority to report it.

Identity Theft

After a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, the contents of your home and cars can be left scattered about for miles. Birth certificates, passports, bills, and other important documents that contain your personal information may put you at risk of having your identity stolen. It is important to also think of all the companies that do have your personal information such as credit card companies, banks, and police stations and contact them to see if they were affected. It is also important to try to keep these documents together in a fireproof safe or waterproof bag and keep it safe at all times.

Organized Crime

Organized crimes are usually groups run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in unlawful activities, commonly to reap monetary profits. Organized crime, which is commonly referred to as racketeering, becomes common in the events of natural disasters. With most of the focus in the aftermath of disasters focusing heavily on rescue efforts, organized crimes can participate in a more care-free way, as gangs know that police and law enforcement will be more pre-occupied assisting the people in need of help.

Rape and Sexual Assault

Rape or sexual assaults occur when a person sexually touches or forces intercourse on another person without that person’s consent. Rape and sexual assault is an atrocious act that has been known to occur in some hurricanes and natural disasters when several hundreds or thousands of people are placed in shelters or large areas. Since these areas are so vast and have so many people placed inside, they are not adequately monitored or patrolled and there are so many people in there, it is hard to keep people safe inside.

(lawenforcementschools.org)