After surviving the tornadoes in Oklahoma, officials now have to deal with another problem, that of looters who are stealing items ranging from copper wire to jewelry, according to NBC News. A police spokesman, Jeremy Lewis, and Mayor Glenn Lewis, said 17 arrests have been made on misdemeanor charges of looting in Moore since the EF5 tornado hit the area on May 20.
"We are seeing people take everything from copper to pipes to scrap metal to all kinds of electronics," Lewis told NBC. "It's a misdemeanor crime and not a crime we usually have to deal with."
Jon Fisher is one of the people whose home was destroyed in the tornado that killed 24 people. His neighborhood has also been among the ones targeted by looters, who have been seeking out the homes at the edge of the destruction, which probably appear to have the most opportunity.
"The houses are still standing and looters are kicking in doors and taking TV's and appliances," Fisher said. "They arrested two guys in my neighborhood the night of the tornado who were carrying out a love seat and couch."
Fisher said that his insurance company told him to remove all valuables from the house as quickly as passible, particularly any items that have sentimental value.
After the tornado, police set up positions and checked the identification of people trying to enter locked-down tornado-damaged areas. The Oklahoma Insurance Commission also issued badges to assessors and workers to make them easily identified when they were working in damaged neighborhoods.
Police have arrested three Virginia men, as well as looters closer to home. A Moore resident was arrested on May 29 on misdemeanor looting charges.
This isn't the first time Moore police have dealt with looters. They faced a similar situation after an EF5 tornado hit the area in 1999.
Steve Eddy, the Moore City Manager, said crime is not as widespread as people might think.
"We learned from the first tornado, and we have officers in that area 24/7," Eddy said. "We have no tolerance for it.
"We're not going to shoot them on sight or anything, but we will arrest anyone suspected of it," Eddy said.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
