You loot, We shoot | hurricaneharvey

Spray painted on a pile of furniture and debris on the front lawn of a property, an aggressive warning is written “Don’t take, You loot, we shoot” to ward off potential looters and pickers in the Dickinson area. In response to the potential increase in theft throughout communities, many areas enforced a city curfew. Taken on September 24th, 2017, about a month after Hurricane Harvey this threatening message remains.

When Mrs. Byrd was asked about any negative experiences with other people in response to the storm, the primary example was issues with looters or pickers trying to take the furniture and appliances out of the yards. This happened even while owners were on site working on their properties. In addition to the blatant insensitivity to the grieving process that the flood victims are going through these looters and pickers are trying to profit from other people’s loss, but it interferes with insurance claims. Most people need pictures of damages and items being claimed for insurance in order to receive reimbursement. Unfortunately, there are times when a photo is insufficient, and they need to take a different picture or retrieve a serial number but in the event the item has been stolen it can negatively impact the claims process. Byrd noted that there was a similar sign in her neighborhood with an additional note of “we kill if you steal”.[1]

There is an argument that there was actually a decrease in crime during Harvey according to local police reports. After a disastrous event like Harvey, tensions tend to run a little high. The stress of the storm combined with the shock of devastation can create an increased desire for justice in response to an unfair situation. This mentality combined with social media has the capacity for an exaggeration of events to occur. During Harvey, there were an abundance of stories being shared of heroism and acts of kindness that inspired many. A few examples of looters taking advantage of abandoned businesses and residents sparked outrage that may have outweighed the actual threat.[2] Regardless of how blown out of proportion it may have been, the cultural response is still quite revealing. It is also important to note this response to looters reached as far as the county sheriff and District Attorney who issued warnings of intolerance towards criminals in this time.[3]

[1] Sheila Byrd, "Sheila Byrd Hurricane Harvey Interview," interview by author, November 2, 2017.

[2] Robert Downen, "Crime Plummeted in Houston during Harvey. So Why Do Many Assume Otherwise?" Houston Chronicle, October 26, 2017, http://www.chron.com/news/article/Crime-plummeted-during-Harvey-other-floods-So-12309705.php.

[3] Brian Reynolds, "Houston-area Officials Have Message for Looters during Harvey Floods," Houston Chronicle, August 28, 2017, http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Harvey-flood-Houston-police-warn-looters-12110894.php.