Looters hit Minneapolis tornado survivors

By Hart Van Denburg Wed., May 25 2011 at 1:08 PM

Looters are starting to make life a misery in north Minneapolis.

Adding insult to injury among north Minneapolis tornado survivors, looters are starting to descend on the neighborhood like parasites, kicking in doors and loading up trucks with stolen goods with enough frequency that police announced this morning they were boosting their presence in the Fourth Precinct.

You can hardly blame the homeowners who tell reporters they refuse to leave their property, even when their homes are declared unlivable. They figure if they follow the law, some dirtbag will come along and steal whatever Mother Nature couldn't the first time around.

The city now estimates that 1,819 homes were seriously damaged by the tornado, 116 to the point of being uninhabitable. About 60 people are still living at the Northeast Armory shelter, and more are housed at the Drake Hotel downtown.

Power is still out for almost 6,000 Xcel Energy customers, and repair crews are reported to be resorting to maps on some streets to differentiate between utility lines and other structures and trees heaved about by the storm. About 200 power line poles were destroyed.

Read: North Minneapolis exclusion zone map and details

MPD spokesman Sgt. Stephen McCarty tells us this morning that besides cutting down on looting, the police are going to play a more active role in providing information and directions to people requiring help, and they're going to offer more escorts to city staff, other emergency responders, and work crews clearing the area.

More on the tornado:

Tags:

looters, Minneapolis tornado

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DIANABOL

the national guard should be protecting peoples' homes.

Sth1977

DId you speak with this person? He would seem to have a good handle on what's going on?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

I am calling on you to make a retraction on this story. And use sources in your reporting in the future.

Vug Vee

Wow that really makes me sad. Looters should be shot ON SIGHT!

www.real-privacy.int.tc

Sth1977

Where are your numbers and facts to back up your article? This is irresponsible reporting. Stop victimizing people who have already been through a lot. I'm a resident of North and am sick and tired of people making this story into something its not. I have been nothing but amazed at how the community has come together to fix itself. That's the story you should be telling.

Paul

I'm not clear on where you're getting your information, Hart. You refer to "homeowners who tell reporters." Are you one of those reporters? And about those "repair crews are reported to be resorting to maps," who's reporting it? If you have first-hand knowledge, say so. If not, please link to these other reports. The way you're covering this, it feels like innuendo, and about a neighborhood that's been trashed by the media in recent years. If it's not innuendo, think about some firm sourcing.