Millions of animals dead, homes destroyed, lives effectively shattered. Yet, out there in Australia’s bushfires, looters are using the chaos to their advantage.
For the past few months, Australia has been crippled by relentless infernos. With a slow-moving government behind on the flame, people are being left with nary a bucket to piss in as the fires rage on.
The people of Australia need a glimmer of light through the smoke-laden skies. While some people are doing anything they can to help, others don’t see it that way – with one small town in particular facing the impact of thieves looting homes as people struggle.
Conjola Park, on New South Wales’ south coast – a region of the country particularly stricken by wildfires – has sent a message to back to looters reaping from people’s disarray.
A sign was found by the road recently reading:
U LOOT WE SHOOT
On New Year’s Day, more than 50 properties in Conjola Park were destroyed by bushfires. Unsurprisingly, when the picture of the sign was uploaded to Facebook, fellow residents agreed, with one writing: ‘I will gladly pay for more signs.’
Another supporter added, ‘Excellent sign. should be posted everywhere… way too many low life thieving pieces of sh*t around… and unfortunately lots live among us everyday.’
As per news.com.au, when NSW Police was asked about Conjola’s signs, it said the looting would not be tolerated – however, it didn’t endorse any public acts of violence towards alleged looters.
The police department urged the local residents not to take the law into their own hands in the event of a looting, adding there are additional officers in the area following reports.
On Saturday, January 4, NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said he was ‘disgusted’ by the looters.
He added:
People in these areas have already lost members of their communities, seen property destroyed and suffered emotional turmoil from the recent fire activity. They do not need the added stress of looters stealing what little they might have left!
Worboys confirmed uniformed and plain-clothed officers are patrolling areas affected by the bushfires, with aerial surveillance support. He said: ‘With thousands of lives and homes at risk today, I can’t comprehend the type of person who’d think it’s OK to try and profit or benefit at other people’s expense.’
As well as causing the deaths of animals on a scale hitherto undreamt of, the bushfires have taken the lives of 24 people.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.