Hurricanes Bring Looters

Dylan Burfield, Asst. Editor

Over the past month, Hurricanes Irma and Harvey have devastated the states of Florida and Texas, leaving thousands of families without power, or even a place to live. However, rather than helping displaced families find a new home, some people have taken it upon themselves to profit rather than to give back.

More than 50 people were arrested in Florida trying to steal supplies by looting stores and shelters, and 14 people were arrested in Texas for the same crime, according to The New York Times.

According to authorities, of these 50 people, 26 of them were accused of breaking into a single Wal-Mart store. Six more men were arrested for looting a store in midtown Miami, where they stole shoes, bags, and laptops.

From the beginning, authorities had warned any potential looters about trying to rob stores by posting a picture on Facebook. In this picture were several people inside a jail cell with the caption, “Thinking about looting? Ask these guys how it turned out. #stayindoors.”

Sophomore Inri Colo does not like the looting situation either. “I think it is stupid that people are thinking about themselves during this difficult time.” Colo also added, “These people should be punished for their crimes, and they should be sent to prison for at least a year.” Sophomore Kerin Guzman agreed with Colo, stating, “These people should be ashamed of themselves. People need the supplies.” Guzman thought the punishment should be more severe than one year behind bars. “They should be put in jail for 5-10 years,” said Guzman.

Not only did robbers loot stores in Florida, but people were also caught stealing in Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. To try to prevent looting, Houston authorities ordered mandatory jail time to people who were caught stealing from abandoned stores during the unrest. Photos and videos show robbers in Texas making off with items such as phones, computers, and even small televisions.