How close do you think we are to looting?

[DoubleAction]

DS has a lot of friends in the Army. They're all on standby and being briefed on how to deal with looters.

What do you think? Just a precaution or the powers that be really think they will be needed?

Is there anything in the shops to loot?

His company have been told to expect army escorts if things get hairy.

No they haven't, at least not by anyone remotely credible. Did you not stop to think how implausible it is that the army could or would provide escorts for every sodding delivery truck?

There is an army logistics corps for this very thing

There is an army logistics corps for this very thing
For what very thing? Providing escorts to civvy hgvs? Give your head a wobble.

No, for transporting essentials in times of crisis. Give your head a wobble.

One Tesco Express and another food store have been broken into near me in the last few days.

www.ft.com/content/5e464066-6946-11ea-800d-da70cff6e4d3

No, for transporting essentials in times of crisis. Give your head a wobble.

My head is fine. You just can't read the posts you respond to.

When schools closed there were upticks of violence towards young people where I live close to London. Mainly robberies at the moment (loo roll, bikes, mobile phones) but if we do go into lockdown it won’t be long before the nasties start targeting supermarkets

They're all on standby and being briefed on how to deal with looters.

Well I should hope army soldiers are well trained to deal with all eventualities!!

Imagine the police calling in the army for reinforcement and the soldiers standing around scratching their heads and saying 'nah, sorry mate - we've had no training on that so I can't really help you there'.

Grumpy that reminded me that countries are seeing increased DV.

We should take care to be worried about what is happening inside homes, even though it's nowhere near as visible.

Also were talking about this earlier IRL.

saying this would be a terrible move in NI for obvious reasons

Then remembering that armed forces generally are not trained in general public and things can and do go wrong when they are deployed at times of public/ societal unrest, difficulties etc

So I suppose what I'm saying is none of this is simple.

Solutions which look good on paper can and do have unintended or unexpected results.

Farmshop near us was burgled last night. Most of the contents taken.

Is burglary and looting similar, I though looting was rampaging gangs stealing from many places

Maybe I’m being a bit dramatic

If Mumsnet was to be shut down for the duration on balance that would be a good thing for the country.

I though looting was rampaging gangs stealing from many places

I think one person can loot - I think it's a type of stealing, characterised by people's opportunism during civil unrest.

When we can't get it anymore people will nick it - that's the way it is. And it will happen if this becomes a long term thing.

Well if most people are at home then house burglary will be down.
However there’s going to be a lot of empty towns and lots of bored young men.
I’m really hoping that the demographic for being dicks are staying in and smoking weed; knowing no one cares as long as they are quiet. I noticed knife crime seems to be down as that was every day before Coronavirus. Or nay be just reporting?

Judging by the state of the shops there is not much to nick.

@vera99 I strongly disagree - MN potentially saved my DF's life the other day as a result of a poster's brilliant suggestion for a logistical issue meaning he couldn't get the medical care he needed.

Sharing information and ideas is absolutely vital in these crazy and unprecedented times - the fact there are a few dud ideas floating round doesn't negate all the advantages!

Plus, who would we all talk to?

Generally when people refer to looting at difficult times it's about that extreme mob mentality that can happen where people hit the streets and break into shops in a fairly obvious way and lots of opportunities follow.

Last time we had it here was over the man who died in police custody I think. And the courts were totally not even handed in the judgements they gave. That's another topic prob.

I don't think most people would take looting to mean 1 person stealing.

We're said to be 9 meals from anarchy ... and I'd say quite a few people will have run out of food already. Now restaurants are closed and supermarket delivery slots are gone.

I'd be surprised if supermarket breakins - the prelude to out and out lawless daylight looting - don't start very soon. Looting inside a week or two. It's highly predictable. Desperate people, e.g. with starving children, will eventually eschew the queue, barge to the front and others will panic. When it happens, it'll happen pretty quickly and other areas will find out and follow suit. It will be extremely frightening and dangerous for bystanders and staff caught up in the middle of it.

This is exactly why a journalist asked the looting question in Boris' press conference today and also exactly why Boris avoided directly answering it. The govt will likely soon deploy the army to guard large supermarkets and key petrol stations.

Which part of the country are you in pics? Sounds like big regional variations in food availablity.

I agree with the only ever a few steps away from anarchy thing.

It’s not anarchy. Despite the empty shelves of stuff we would like there’s tons of other stuff we could still eat.
It’s young men being twats. Again. No “need’ involved.