You are a police officer in New Orleans. During the flood following Hurricane Katrina, you are ordered to patrol a section of the downtown area to prevent looting. The water is waist high in some places, and sections of blocks are, for the most part, inundated with floodwater. You come upon one shop where the plate glass window has been broken, and about a dozen people are coming out of the shop with clothing in their arms. The stores’ contents will be written off anyway by the owners and covered by insurance. Should that make a difference in your decision? What if the store was in an area of the city that wasn’t flooded and the contents were not ruined? What if the people said they were desperate and didn’t have any clothes because their belongings were under water? What if the items being taken were televisions and other electronics?
Punishment for Hurricane Harvey looters