Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Looking Back To Go Forward: Toward a Criminology of Disaster Kelly Frailing and Dee Wood Harper Prepared by Diana Carreon

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Definition of Disaster Little agreement, at least three dozen published definitions After WWII, idea that disasters cause social disruption emerges Quarantelli takes up the mantle, his definition of a disaster is entirely social o Disasters have a sudden onset, disrupt collective routines, result in unplanned courses of action taken in response and are a danger to social objects Current research paradigm of disasters is that disasters are social phenomena and that they reflect the ways in which social changes occur Disagreement still exists, especially as new types of disasters (TSSRs and SACDs) are observed, and consensus becomes all the more important

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Crime and Hurricanes Hurricane Hugo, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands o September 17, 1989 o Category 4 o Widespread destruction of support systems and physical structures o Massive looting of all types of stores, property o National Guard sent in to quell unrest o Social conditions on the island contributed to the amount of looting

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Crime and Earthquakes San Francisco earthquake and fire, California o April 18, 1906 at 5:12am o 8.3 magnitude o Morris’ (2002) data source: first hand account o 300,000 left homeless, estimated death toll 1,500 o Dynamite used to fight fires o Soldiers ordered to shoot looters and examples of looting Jewelry from corpses Pillaging in Chinatown

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Crime and Earthquakes Kanto earthquake, Japan o September 1, 1923 just before noon o 7.9 magnitude o 91,000 dead from quake and fires, 381,000 homes destroyed o Rumors of Korean uprising follow, spread by government o Japanese police, military and civilians killed 6,000 Koreans

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Crime and Earthquakes Tangshan earthquake, China o July 27, 1976 o 7.5 magnitude, followed by severe aftershock 15 hours later o 240,000 killed, 800,000 injured o One of the deadliest earthquakes of the last four centuries o Zhou’s (1997) data sources: official statistics and retrospective survey o Testing social disorganization o Crime rate in Tangshan higher in 1976 than in 1975 and in 1977

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Crime and Earthquakes Tangshan earthquake, China (continued) o Mass looting was the most common crime in the earthquake’s wake o Causes of mass looting rooted in earthquake itself, death and destruction, but causes of individual theft and mass violence rooted in disorganization caused by the earthquake o Contrasts idea that looting only occurs after civil disturbances and not natural disasters

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Crime and Earthquakes Haiti Earthquake o January 12, 2010 o 7.0 magnitude o Between 200,000 to 250,000 dead o Over 634,000 still living in squalid displacement camps over a year and a half after the earthquake struck o Two types of crimes observed after the earthquake: crimes fueled by desperation and gang-related crimes Desperation crimes include stealing water from orphanage, sexual intimidation of/violence against women with food coupons

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Crime and Earthquakes Chile Earthquake o February 27, 2010 o 8.8 magnitude o About 800 people killed and 1.5 million displaced o Solid construction of buildings dramatically reduced the death toll o Collective action was taken by citizens to protect their property from looters o But 35 looters were arrested in the days immediately following the earthquake

Copyright © 2012 Carolina Academic Press Crime and Earthquakes Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan o March 11, 2011 o 9.0 magnitude o Earthquake and tsunami effected the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant o Reason for a lack of looting following the disaster is threefold: Japan’s policy on recovering lost property Police presence Organized crime syndicates (Yakuza) o Computer scammers and tobacco smuggling emerged following Japan’s disaster

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