There is looting, despite the fact that there are national guard and police in force- something that wasnt the case in katrina

Looters taking advantage of Columbus flood victims

Posted: June 11, 2008 10:55 PM EDT

Updated: June 12, 2008 08:19 AM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) - Brazen and desperate is how Columbus Police are describing looters arrested for stealing from flood victims. Police say over a dozen people have been arrested so far for looting and they expect more arrests to come.

"A lot of people put their heart and soul into their homes and they have to put it out here on the curb. And someone else wants to come here and tear it apart, that ain't cool," flood victim Tim Trent said.

It's a crime of opportunity. As flood victims pull precious belongings from their homes outside to dry out, looters are taking advantage. Lt. Joe Richardson with the Columbus Police Department told 24-Hour News 8 the first arrest came around 3 or 4 p.m. Tuesday. And that was just the first of many.

"We had approximately 13 arrests so far," Lt. Richardson said,

Lt. Richardson say they've taken anything and everything. "They've taken bikes, dishwashers. You name it, they've taken it from these people." Police say scrap metal and even carpet has been stolen.

Now Columbus Police are hitting the streets on foot trying to keep an already bad situation from getting worse.

"As long as they take it off the street, I don't care. You go in my yard and yeah, I care," flood victim John Cheeks said.

Some wonder if the looters will become more bold.

"It's like okay if you are gutsy enough to do that. What else are you going to do?" flood victim Jackie Trent asked.

Others just don't understand that.

"Why would you go and mess with someone's life? Especially when you see it like this. Why would you go and do that when everything they own is on the curb," Tim Trent said.

Sheriffs arrested a looter trying to steal from the rubble of people's homes in Parkersburg.

The Butler County Sheriff's Office arrested 68 year-old Lloyd Bonjour of Dows around 7:30 Friday night.

Sheriffs say people in Parkersburg noticed Bonjour walking around with small appliances, a TV, and othe debris from Parkersburg. They notified Tama County deputies, one of the many departments helping patrol Parkersburg in the aftermath of Sunday's EF-5 tornado. Deputies found Bonjour driving in town and stopped him. In the car, deputies found the looted goods.

Bonjour is now charged with 4th degree theft and is being held at the Butler County jail. Butler County Sheriff Jason Johnson says looting will not be tolerated and Bonjour will be dealt with swiftly.

http://www.kwwl.com/global/story.asp?s=8404760

The dam at Prince's Lake failed on June 7 threatening the community of Nineveh, Indiana. On June 8 the Wabash Valley between Lafayette and Terre Haute, Indiana was placed under flood alert and all residents near the Wabash River were urged to evacuate their homes. Looting was reported in Seymour, Indiana where the White River had overflowed its banks forcing the evacuation of over one hundred homes. Governor Daniels dispatched extra state police to the city to curb the looting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2008_Midwest_Flood

Right now there’s almost no way in or out of the city. They rounded up enough Iowa National Guard that weren’t in Iraq or otherwise overseas, and now they are helping out as best they can and patrolling downtown to stop any looting.

http://badamerican.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/cedar-rapids-underwater/

In contrast to Katrina, where many saw no enforcement personnell for days:

Flood Waters Ravage Central and Eastern Iowa

Flood waters have ravaged central and eastern Iowa. Cities have been evacuated and more than 600 members of the Iowa national guard have been called in to help whereever possible.

That includes the 113th cavalry from Sioux City and the 185th air refueling wing.

The 185th Iowa Air National Guard Unit patrol the streets along the flood line urging people to stay out of flooded areas.

Air guardsman are along dozens of check points forming a perimeter around the downtown area.

They are directing traffic and also keeping an eye out for looting.

There are more than 100 air guardsmen from the 185th here. Others have been sandbagging, while others have yet been assisting with the collapsed train bridge.

The air guardsmen that are on foot patrol have had to push back once already as the flood waters continue to rise and push farther out.

The river still hasn't crested. It is expected to do that in the next 48 hours.

The flood is much worse than the one that ravaged the area in 1993 and by far the worst flood in Cedar Rapids history.

An estimated 8,000 people have be evacuated.