Rachel Decker
The Paw Print
The New York Police Department has been on standby, waiting for the reports or crime to come in by the hundreds. With Hurricane Sandy barreling through the east side, crime rates were expected to rise rapidly. Vandalism, assaults, burglaries, and other offenses are often doubled when such incidents happen.
However, the New York Police Department was thrilled to announce that crime has significantly decreased. In fact, it has dropped 27 percent compared to the crime rate of this time last year, and it has authority figures and residents thrilled. Many believe that this is not due to a change of heart, though. Some officials believe that the only reason crime has dropped so much is because it has become inconvenient.
“Most people spend a lot of their time in lines for gas, or running around trying to gather their lives,” said one New York resident. “Why waste time breaking in or attacking others when your first priority should be yourself and your own family?”
Many are simply thankful that the crime has decreased, and that others are showing sympathy in this time of tragedy. Residents are pulling together more than ever now to be united and help each other through their struggles.
“It is really inspirational that everyone is putting his or her differences aside,” said Allison Jennings, a volunteer at a shelter set up in New York. “We need to see that a tragedy like this isn’t the only reason to come together. I’ve never seen such humanity and kindness on this level. It’s touching.”
Many times when natural disaster strikes, people affected turn to crimes such as vandalism and burglary. Looting is common throughout commercial areas. Thousands of dollars worth of merchandise goes missing each year during catastrophes, and assault doubles.
“A lot of the times, we see a correlation between murder rates and natural disasters, so I think that this shows a change in the heart of everyone involved. It shows that we have matured as a country, and that we have the ability to hold one another up when we need help,” says Marc Johns, a researcher in New York.
Several residents are worried that crimes have not been reported because they are not noticeable. It is not easy to distinguish now if a window is smashed or a door is broken in due to Hurricane Sandy, or a crime. There are several homes that need no forced entry because they have been damaged enough to be accessed, and loss of personal property cannot be catalogued until after recovery has been started.
“How are we going to know if someone’s completely ransacked what we left behind?” asked Sara LeMorrey, a mother of two who had her house partially destroyed from Hurricane Sandy. “I won’t be able to know the real state of things until I can get inside and see what all is missing. And even then, how can I tell if it’s gone because someone took it, or because it was swept away?”
This is one of the big concerns with those directly affected by Hurricane Sandy. But police and other authority figures are insisting that, in spite of the other factors, this decrease in crime is a positive sign all around.
“It’s something good in the darkness of this tragedy,” says one resident. “I think it gives everyone a little hope to hold on to. And that’s what we all need right now.
What’s Been Said…