Add new comment

Just posted it because the first scare mongering paragraph reminded me of this TotW.
Go to article for the links, it links to sources and stuff.
Emphasis added for flavor:

STORM SURGES AND CRIME WAVES: LAW ENFORCEMENT DURING NATURAL DISASTERS

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series on security and law enforcement during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief scenarios.

Dorian. Gilbert. Haiyan. Idai. Irma. Maria. Mitch. Nina. The names of devastating storms remain forever etched in the memories of those who lost loved ones, livelihood, or property. While major hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons, and other natural disasters are a source of tragedy and suffering, they must also be recognized as a source of opportunities. Criminal opportunities. Recent experiences in different parts of the world have shown that while law enforcement assets are diverted to engage in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief after major storms rip through a region, criminals accelerate their activities. They find new routes, new conscripts, new money-making activities. They take advantage of the chaos, disorder, and destruction to find new footholds and speed up their pursuit of illicit profit while the eyes of security professionals are turned toward search and rescue, saving lives, and both responding to and recovering from the latest storm. These major weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense, and should be considered the new normal. To that end, states everywhere must reevaluate how they intend to maintain security and law enforcement functions while attention is focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

[...and it ends with]

And what if that need comes during a global pandemic? Part II of this series will add a third element to this challenging balancing act.