Tensions are starting to build in home town.

[Cerwin Vega Fan]

I live in southwest Louisiana about 30 minutes east of the Texas boarder(Lake Charles for reference). Over the past couple days the survivors have been placed in the local Civic and Rec Centers. All of sudden at work today we started selling locking gas caps and fuel containers like crazy. Turns out several people have had their tanks sucked dry. Another thing is that their are rumors that in the city of Lake Charles crimes is going through the roof. 15-20 car jackings just in a single day, massive theift of personal property, and people being robbed. It got to the point where primetime television was interrputed by local news saying calls were flooding the local sheriff office. Later the mayor claimed all these were fake which is BS (or at least he is playing down the situtation). One of my coworkers is good friends with one of the officers and he told us he had been drawing his gun all day. On an average day he doesn't even have to draw his gun but he said things are getting a bit rough. I have heard the same from other police officers I know. Just from working with customers today you can tell tensions are running high and some people are getting pissed off. I'm a pretty much laid back kind of guy but this bothers me. I don't like the increased tension I'm feeling at work. It is so thick you can almost see it like a fog on an early spring mourning. The increase state police patrols are not helping either, it is obviouse law enforcement is having to step up it's game. The thought of the N.O. kids having to to go to the local schools is bothering people too it seems. I don't think anything is going to happen but people are loading up and locking their gear down expecting the worst.

[Dave-S]

There will be many situations of this type for a long time to come. These people are desparate, so no matter where they take them they need to have additional troops or law enforcement there to keep things in order. The more people they have in one place (such as the Astrodome) the worse the situations will become. As time goes on, these people will get increasingly less patient and more trouble will develop. I don't know if we all realize yet how serious this situation can become. I find it all rather overwhelming myself.

Be very alert in your area for your own safety and I hope for the best for everyone affected by this massive displacement of people.

[wolfdogs]

this does not surprise me in the least. i knew it was comming, and its going to be happening all over the area around katrina's devastation. people are desperate and feel like thier lives are ruined....... like any animal, when cornered, and backed up against the wall, all couth and class and rationale is lost, the fangs come out, and "anything goes".

my neighbor, a retired 1st sgt. with a police dept up here (4 years ago) and bunch of other recent retired police officers from this area, are going to be reactivated and become parts of a task force and are going to mississippi.....those cops have no cars yet...they were all destroyed..and mayhem is running rampid.