Crime Control After Disaster: A Qualitative Analysis of Responses to Hurricane Andrew

• In Event: Fragile Contexts and Global Community Disruption

Abstract

Lawlessness and looting continue to be perceived by the public as large threats after natural disasters. This paper attempts to answer the question of what occurs in communities affected by natural disasters utilizing data collected after a 1992 hurricane in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Qualitative thematic coding was done on a random sample of interviews done after Hurricane Andew to accurately assess community and police response to hurricanes. Coping behaviors greatly outnumbered lawless behaviors after disasters, underpinning a shift in theoretical foundation from strain theory to routine activities theory (RAT).

Author

• Jules R. Eggerding, Western Michigan University