WAVELAND, Miss. – When contractor Dwight Billingsley rushed to the Mississippi Gulf Coast just days after Hurricane Katrina struck, he figured he could use his house-moving equipment and expertise to make some money and at the same time help people in need.
Ten months later, the 45-year-old Pine Bluff, Ark., resident is demoralized, tens of thousands of dollars in the hole and ready to head home after losing most of his heavy equipment and tools to thieves.
“I’m going to finish the house I’m on now and go home,” he says morosely, reclining on the bench of his cramped camper’s dinner table. “It’s all I can stand.”
Law enforcement officials along the Gulf Coast say Billingsley’s experience is hardly unique. Rings of thieves increasingly are taking advantage of the industrious chaos in the hurricane zone and making off with anything that isn’t guarded, locked up or nailed down, including heavy equipment and more easily stolen items like power tools, lawnmowers and golf carts.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau, a nonprofit organization that works with local law enforcement, recently established a Gulf Coast task force to focus on the equipment thefts as well as other insurance-related crime in the area.
The initiative already has borne fruit with the bust of a ring in Livingston, La., according to NICB officials.
In that case, authorities arrested five people, issued a warrant for a sixth and recovered 27 pieces of equipment, including “Bobcats (loaders), golf carts and Gators (small utility vehicles),” said NICB Special Agent Phil Clark. The defendants were working as contractors when they weren’t robbing their competitors, and had a lucrative sideline selling the stolen equipment, he said.
Thefts of heavy equipment pose a difficult challenge for law enforcement because much of it isn’t registered in the way that other motor vehicles are.
'So available and so hard to track'
“That’s one problem that makes equipment so available and so hard to track,” said Allen Applewhite, a retired Mississippi state trooper who is heading up the NICB’s Gulf Coast task force.
Construction equipment like bulldozers and backhoes usually bear vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on metal plates, but they area easy to remove and few operators bother to file a report when they disappear.
“(The thieves) will pop the VIN plate off a piece of equipment and put it on something they’ve stolen, and the owner isn’t worried and he’s not going to report it,” Applewhite said.
In one recent case, he said, “Officers checked the VIN plate on a new bulldozer and when they ran it, it showed it belonged on a 1973 hay-bailer in Illinois.”
Often pieces of heavy equipment lack any identifying plates or tags other than manufacturer’s serial numbers, which can’t easily be checked by officers on patrol, said Bay St. Louis Police Chief Frank McNeil.
“If our officers see something without tags, they’ll stop them. But if the guy says he doesn’t have the paperwork, you don’t just want to just seize the equipment on the spot if he didn’t do something else illegal,” he said.
A rash of rip-offs
Officials with all three major law enforcement agencies in Hancock County say they are working numerous cases involving the theft of construction vehicles and heavy equipment.
Hancock County Sheriff Steve Garber said has investigated the theft of between 15 and 20 trailers since the storm.
“We have found some of the stuff that was stolen and we got the guys that did it,” he said. “At least some of it is being taken by other contractors so they can use it on their jobs.”
McNeil says his Bay St. Louis officers are investigating the theft of “a bunch of ‘Cats, bulldozers and one big track-hoe.”
The department also helped bust a man accused of stealing a bulldozer and trailer in Missouri, which he used to work as a contractor at the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club.
The suspect, Lewis Griffin of Sikeston, Mo., ran into trouble when a coworker saw him driving out of Bay St. Louis with a 25-foot cabin cruiser on his trailer.
“He called him on his cell phone and said ‘Why are you stealing that boat?’ but the guy just kept on going,” said Bay St. Louis police Capt. Tom Burleson. After the coworker reported the theft, Griffin was arrested in Missouri, where he faces grand larceny charges, Burleson said.
Waveland Police Chief James Varnell said his officers also have numerous reports of heavy equipment theft on their caseload.
So many contractors, 'Nothing looks suspicious'
He said accelerating rebuilding process makes it hard for patrol officers to spot suspicious activity because “with thousands of workers down here and the amount of people on the streets, nothing looks suspicious.”
He also said many contractors who were hit were parking their equipment overnight in the parking lot of a shuttered shopping mall.
“They leave a truck full of tools sitting there without locking them up,” he said. “Yes, it’s our job to protect that stuff, but you’ve got to help yourself too.”
Read previous post about how the hurricane has changed the face of crime
In addition to costing contractors and insurance companies millions of dollars, the heavy equipment thefts can charge a substantial non-monetary toll, as Billingsley’s case illustrates.
Because of the thefts, Hancock County -- where many homeowners face long waits for qualified contractors -- is losing a skilled craftsman who did double duty as a good Samaritan.
Billingsley, who has the dimpled chin and chiseled good looks of a Marlboro cowboy, says he didn’t intend to do good deeds when he arrived in Waveland in early November after spending a month working in Louisiana.
“I came down here to get rich,” he says. “But when you come down here and you see the big picture, things change. … So much destruction, so much devastation. It’s absolutely heart-breaking."
So between paying jobs, Billingsley helped his new neighbors, cleaning out drainage ditches, scraping lots, hanging screen doors, “whatever helped them, made them feel better.”
“I told him a long time ago, ‘You probably ought to go home. You’re not making any money giving it away,’” says neighbor John Impson, husband of “Rising from Ruin” citizen diarist Gwen Impson.
Hoisting a home
Billingsley also earned a photo in the local newspaper, the Sea Coast Echo, by using his crane to carefully lift a home belonging to Edward and Gloria Cook approximately 40 feet from Mollere Street in Waveland, where it had been deposited by Katrina's floodwaters, back onto its foundation.
The Cooks said they contacted Billingsley, who charged them the bargain price of $7,000 for the move, after finding his name and phone number on a sign he left on their property that read: “Katrina moved it; I can move it back.”
Edward and Gloria Cook are once more living in their home in Waveland after contractor Dwight Billingsley hoisted it back on its foundation.
The Cooks moved back into their good-as-new home at the beginning of June.
“I tell you it feels good,” said Edward Cook, 83. “That bed feels better than a shower.”
But Billingsley also ran into some people who were glad he was in town for an entirely different reason.
His big rig, with a specialized Lowboy trailer he used to haul his crane and a container full of tools, was parked on a dead-end private road in the Kiln, a rural community about 10 miles north of Waveland, when it disappeared the night of Jan. 23.
'They took everything'
“I left at 8 p.m. and went back at 4 a.m. and it was gone,” he says. “They took my truck and trailer, tools, all my clothes, my tennis shoes, everything.”
The tools included the jacks he uses to raise homes back onto their foundations, boxes of hand tools, “come alongs” (ratcheted hoists), and “so much else I can’t remember.”
Billingsley himself found the truck cab “eight or nine days later,” parked on a rural road in neighboring Harrison County with the cab lights on and the windows rolled down. His trailer and tools have not been recovered.
Billingsley says his insurance company paid him only about $9,000 for his trailer and tools, so he had to take $10,000 out of his savings to get his crew back to work. His biggest purchase: An $8,500 hydraulic jack system to allow him to lift and stabilize houses knocked off their foundations by the storm.
But on the night of May 6, the thieves struck again. This time they entered a job site where Billingsley and his crew were jacking up a house on St. Charles Street in Bay St. Louis, broke the connections on the pump and made off with the 300-plus-pound piece of machinery.
“It wasn’t a crackhead,” Billingsley says. “It was somebody who knew what it was and what it’s used for.”
This time Billingsley sent his crew back to Arkansas
“It’s not only the loss of the pump, but the down time and the other customers that go elsewhere because we can’t get to them because all our tools have been stolen. It hurts us more than one way.”
Late-night vigil
Since the second theft, Billingsley hasn’t been working or sleeping much. He began creeping around at night, often on foot, in an attempt to identify the thieves.
Big rigs and heavy equipment sit unguarded at night in a parking lot in rural Kiln, Miss. (Jim Seida / MSNBC.com)
“I’ve been in every bush in Bay St. Louis the last few weeks, behind every stump,” he says of his nighttime forays.
Back in Pine Bluff, Billingsley’s wife, Sandra, says she wishes her husband would come home. But she knows he’d like to do one more good deed for the hurricane survivors before he pulls out.
“It’s not just him; there’s so many people down there who have had their trailers unhitched and stolen,” she says of his quest to identify the crooks. “Katrina took just about everything they had and now the thieves are coming in and taking the rest.”
Watch out for 'flying teeth'
Sigh.... that's pretty evil. Almost like the looters stealing aid shipments at the Mogadishu airport in 1993... one would think that kind of stuff after a disaster would only happen in other countries. This is a national disgrace. They either need more police/troops in those areas or to deputise civilian militias. I hadn't heard much about Mississippi as compared to some other areas hit by the storms last year, and figured they might be doing better at post-Katrina recovery than LA was, but this is really horrible. The good people, both among the helpers and among those hit by the storms, are getting hurt here :+(
I guess those people that went into the affected area in rescue boats, with a first aid kit in one hand and a rifle or a shotgun in the other, had the right idea, unfortunately :+( Help the people you can but be ready to deter or ward off robbers :( It just is really horrible that it apparently has to be that way...
I guess from now on my 9mm goes in my "disaster kit" planning. Not cool... not cool.... I'd rather help people, but I guess that you have to be able to defend yourself before you can do that these days. Living on the Jersey shore, this has all been very hard for me to see. There but for the Grace of God go any of us. I wish those people the best and want them to get the best possible help.... after all, we are America...
David in NJ
"I wish we could bomb hunger." - Alan Spencer.
"I know in my heart that man is good.
That what is right will always eventually triumph.
And there's purpose and worth to each and every life. " - Ronald Reagan.
"That you do for the least of them, you do for me." - Jesus Christ.
David in NJ (Sent Jun 26, 2006 1:49:28 AM)
Anybody low-down enough to steal from people trying to help rebuild the Coast should just be shot or maybe "accidentally" run over with the machines they stole. Dwight and the many others down here have done a lot of good and we appreciate them so much. How sad this is happening.
Jane, Southern Mississippi (Sent Jun 26, 2006 1:57:07 AM)
This is just an enfuriating story and situation. How dare someone take anything belonging to anyone else, particularly when it involves his or her livihood? I know that sounds Pollyanna-esque, but that concept has always been foreign to me. But to top it off....to the very ones who are doing what they can to help those who need it most? That simply seems more than criminal. Not sure what you'd call it, other than greed, self-centeredness; just plain evil. I am so sorry for Mr. Billingsley's losses. I hope it doesn't keep you from helping out someone else in the future, Dwight.
Stephanie Umbro, Maine (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:36:11 AM)
I hope Mr. Billingsley finds them and castrates them...surely he will get away with that since clearly the police as useless down there.
Kevin C, Milford, NH (Sent Jun 26, 2006 5:47:50 AM)
What a biforcated race we are. We need war, competition, good samaritans and theives. The world trade center brought us together for a few moments, but Katrina holds no candle. Good faith spoils into neglect when tainted by greed. Then we all those truly in need are simply abandoned.
Jonathan Dupuis, Baltimore, Maryland (Sent Jun 26, 2006 6:13:38 AM)
Our contry is in Ruin, when the state of morality has come this low.
Really shocking for other people to profit from misfortune on a grand scale
I hope they find the crooks and stone them
T. Van Lienden Seattle, WASH (Sent Jun 26, 2006 6:52:33 AM)
Find one or more of those thieves and execute them right on Good Morning America.
Keith Roberts (Sent Jun 26, 2006 6:57:11 AM)
i think the authorities shouldn't give the benefit of doubt to the thieves since they 'suffered' from 'katrina' and instead must enforce a zero tolerance policy to thieves and other criminals. this way u can make the 'new' new orleans a much safer city.
Poznan, Poland (Sent Jun 26, 2006 7:01:52 AM)
I can tell you for certain, In that area the cops are in on the stealing as sure as i am sitting here reading this article this morning. I lived in Slidell for almost 10 years, i know new orleans/south louisiana, and waveland/bay st.louis ms. like the back of my hand and the types of people that live in those areas. they need to put national guard troops in the streets and on patrol with orders to shoot to kill after curfew hours. It's the only way and i can assure you if that order is made known, there will still be people shot and killed because they are so stupid and so crimnal and brazen, they will not care one bit what the law says. It's the way it is in those areas of the country. The reason i left the area and went to Ft. Walton Beach FL.
Scott Southerland, Ft. Walton Beach Fl. (Sent Jun 26, 2006 7:15:02 AM)
Just think of all the builders and public officials who "sold them out" by allowing them to build in such a dangerous location in the first place. How about the Army corp of engineers who did such a sloppy job or the Mayor who (with a Cat 5 hurricane barrelling down on him) waited to order the evacuation and whom didn't even feel the need to raise his voice to encourage people to leave. And to think they are now rebuiding in the same location...
Eco author Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 7:28:53 AM)
the old adage-"no good deed goes unpunished"kind of fits here.the government/fema should assist this gentleman financially,they have already thrown away good money to some bad people,how about throwing some money to good ,well-intentioned ones.
joanne kemp,philadelphia.pa (Sent Jun 26, 2006 7:56:07 AM)
What a disgrace. Those caught stealing or damaging property of those that are in the area to help should be shot on sight. I also agree that it surely appears the law enforcement is either "on the take" or not doing their job. It wouldn't take but one theft and I would be heading home. Zero tolerance for thieves.
Ed Bassett, VA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 7:58:29 AM)
When our politicians and the heads of our largest corporations lie, cheat and steal with arrogance and impunity, is it any wonder that national morality is at an all-time low? They set such a fine example for our children, don't they.
We all want to punish these low-lifes who steal from the people who are helping disaster victims but who will punish the "high-lifes" who set up the situation in the first place and continue to steal from the needy and the caring to feather their own already-bulging nests.
Chris Lee, Clarksville, MD (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:04:54 AM)
I think all theives should be shot on site period. No giveing them a hault or warning. Issue a curfue and make it stick. I don't think ray nagien is going to do a thing for his peoople with all that money he got from Washington, it will go to HIS reelection campains and all His little circle of friends. If you are still there you better get out while you can, the city ,the state dosen't care about you only there self intrest, read the hand writting on the walls people.
Kenneth C Amick (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:08:00 AM)
This absolutely disgusting. I am a Canadian, and my heart went out to my friends and neighbours in Katrina's gunsights (yes, we are all neighbours).
Shot while trying to escape would be too quick and too merciful for the bastards that do things like this. When they catch them, save some money and put them in a room with the victims of the theft ... and the people down there who will now not get back into their homes because the contractors cannot continue working there.
A. Hunter, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:10:37 AM)
This was an interesting article read as I sit in Recife, Brazil. For us in Brazil, this is an everyday aspect of life - if things are not chained down and locked you can be sure it will not be there for long. It was sad to see this happening in my home country. In Brazil people are driven to stealing due to the overwhelming misery in peoples lifes. Is this also the problem in these areas in the US? I'm not sure what the answers are or what suggestions to make to help resolve - but I have to believe the US remains a place of dignity and honesty.
Amy M. Andrade, Recife, Brazil (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:15:31 AM)
the people who are stealing all this stuff should be shot on site its not theirs to take damn looters
brent hardy miami lakes fla (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:18:31 AM)
If Mr Billingsley needs help moving what he has left, I would offer my flatbed trailer and pull it back to his home - no charge. He can call Tony at 404 886 1300. I'm a contractor in Atlanta - and it makes me sick to see this stuff.
Tony Gentile (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:23:01 AM)
While I feel for Mr. Billingsly's loss of property, I was struck by his quote, "I came down here to get rich ..." then realized the destruction involved.
If Mr. Billingsly was not ruled by greed himself perhaps he would have developed a better plan to help folks in need of his expertise. Instead, he fell victim to the greed of others.
David, Cleveland, Ohio (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:27:17 AM)
There is nothing that is more low-down than stealing a working man's tools! I hope they catch the people who are perpetrating this crime and lock them up for a long, long time!
W. Thompson, Wichita, Kansas (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:30:52 AM)
Public Executions should be held on Sundays at noon in this country to make it "The way it used to be".
James Huffman, Columbus, OH (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:34:53 AM)
Wish I could be surprised by this report. I'm not. Burden of proof should be shifted to ability to prove innocence, not guilt. Then maybe the "good" people, who I am convinced are the majority, can begin to stem the continuing drift into social chaos.
Mike, Baltimore MD (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:35:10 AM)
It's not only the theives that are the problem it's also the insurance companys.
Marty (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:47:28 AM)
I work for the County Hosuing Authority here in Lancaster, PA and I am so angered at Bush because HE is the one saying that HUD needs to do this and do that in these areas that were hit, yet Bush keeps cutting our funding. Guess that is what a two face President is for. I even wanted to go down and help with Building Code Inspections that needed to be done there and was told "NO". Unless I do it all on my own and have vacations time to do it. It is so sad that the Govt. helps it self, but no ones in need. Now I read this, and still the Govt. doesn't help in ways they could. Thanks Mr. President. I am so glad I voted for you and trusted you. NOT !!
Shaun, Lancaster, PA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:50:10 AM)
I would almost bet my house that the people doing the stealing are people that are accustomed to getting things for free. Thru our government or stealing it. STOP HAND OUTS...I know these people suffered much but so have northeasterners.......they have yet to cry....Where's my debit card !!!
Lisa McDaniel Texarkana, Texas (Sent Jun 26, 2006 8:55:39 AM)
We all hope that these people will be caught and punished, but I think many of us are aware of the chances of that happening. I just want to say that my heart goes out to Mr. Billingsley. How sad and disheartened he must be that he went down there to help, yet was robbed of so many things, including his faith in humanity. It will take him a much longer time to replace that.
Sue Morrison, Boston, Mass. (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:02:54 AM)
what is wrong with our citizens i'll tell you they see politicians stealing, lying and above all, getting away with it so why can't they. if we can't hold our lawmakers accountable why should the criminals be held accountable. lives and property are lost and the politicians look for political gain. this country isn't the country i remember but of course, those who vote will put in the same do nothing, non-working leeches that spin the wheels and go no where.
don langiano, missouri (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:03:22 AM)
Most of you all are completely spoiled wimps. People have ALWAYS been this good and this bad. 100 years ago people simply would have shot or hung thieves like this and gone about their work. Now we rely upon a justice system that functions as poorly as everything else where Katrina hit. Get a rope!
Rob, Decatur, TX (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:04:39 AM)
Where does Chris Eldridge get his facts. These articles are not about New Orleans, they are in Mississippi. Do they have geography classes in Pennsylvania? Evidently not. I grew up on the beach on the Outer Banks, no one induced or encouraged us to build there. We knew the risks. I don't hear the homeowners down there crying and whining, it is the city dwellers in New Orleans and the politicians.
J. Light, Redington Shores, FL (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:05:35 AM)
My husband is also down there and has had items stolen from him, springs off of his dump trailer, etc. These acts are being done by others that only want to profit, and not help. All workers and residents down there need to report ANYTHING suspicious, they have to look out for each other.
HBW, Cleveland, TN (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:08:50 AM)
Why is it we as a country rise to the occasion to help others across the world, but cannot see the devastation right under their noses in New Orleans and the gulf coast region? We all want to "summer" there, but now we all look the other way now that it is in ruin. Lets help the people that care to help the people in need. Where is our government....IRAQ?? What about the USA...why don't we have as many troops helping our country? Someone in Washington DC needs to get his head out of his *#%, and get his ass to a shovel!!!
A contractor from Chicago who cares (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:09:30 AM)
This is simply tragic. The news coverage during the immediate aftermath showed what a despicable group of people were living there. Looting 40 pairs of tennis shoes? (The "day-after" coverage of people looting a Wal-Mart). The facts are, that the stolen tennis shoes and stereos should have raised an immediate red flag as to what was to come. I agree with a previous post...the national guard should be out there. A dusk to dawn curfew should be in effect until things are back to normal. Yes, shoot on sight. Stealing food, milk or medical supplies is one thing......but stealing a hydraulic jack? No, I am not advocating "theft"....but obviously the theft of milk by a man whose family is starving warrants some mercy. The theft of a yacht...does not.
There has been so much mud thrown since the beginning on this whole ordeal that it has become an arm wrestling match where "I'm right, you're wrong" is the only argument....but clearly....there must come a time when it becomes necessary to put the egos aside and take a good hard look of "what do we do from here?". It is clear that a military intervention is needed and that a "strong arm, no excuses" way of dealing with lawlessness is the way to go.
As for rebuilding in the same location? All I can say is "Those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them."
Kristen C., Cassville, MO (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:10:27 AM)
Its apparent that marchall law still needs to be enforced. when people can longer feel safe in their homes. stronger measures need to be applied.
joe angiuli,upland,ca (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:18:10 AM)
Mr. Billingsley, you are the best. I wish you well all of your days.
Sharon Rauch, Panama City, Fl (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:18:31 AM)
Seems like we could sure use National Guard troops over here working instead of being shipped over to Iraq. Where they shouldn't be.
Dan Cunningham, Naples, Florida (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:19:26 AM)
20 years ago this would not be an issue. Sad to think what it will be like 20 years from now.
Sherman Peabody, Detroit, MI (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:20:47 AM)
Disaster brings out the best and the worst in mankind. During the 1989 earthquake in the California Bay Area, parts of the Oakland Bay Bridge collapsed onto the lower deck. Many lives were lost and many good people risked their lives to help with the rescue. There was a carpool van with several women in it, driving home from work. All of the women died, and all of their purses and valueables were looted before help could arrive.
Both good and evil were on the bridge that day. The same good and evil are on the Gulf Coast right now.
Barbara, Tullahoma, TN (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:30:12 AM)
Where are the police? Why are the local, state and federal governments allowed to repeatedly let down the Gulf Coast residents? My sister lost her home in Diamnondhead, MS and it has been a struggle for her to get it rebuilt. It is nearly a year later and her home is still far from finished due to back orders on materials and materials being stollen from contractors. Where are the police???
J. Tucker, Lynchburg, VA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:50:21 AM)
These contractors need to Engrave their DOT numbers on ALL their equipment. I had gone thru this crap of being ripped off out in the oil feilds years ago. You got to fence in a holding yard with Doobermen pincers ! I stayed in the yard armed with a shotgun !
That's the way we did it back in the day.
Daniel, Albuquerque, New Mexico (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:50:50 AM)
With all this corruption that this area is noted for why would anyone wany to vacation there, & it is such a large part of their economy. I thought with most of the riff raft displaced the area might get better but they are coming back as fast as they can and crime is on the rise again, national guard had to be deployed in New Orleans to try and curb the violence. What is next more of the same it looks like.
Eza Neal (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:59:40 AM)
I presently live in Bay St Louis, and I lost my home in Waveland. In respone to Scott Southerland who refers to, "the types of people in those areas" and those of us that are, "so stupid and so crimnal and brazen." Let me tell you about the "types" of people that live in this area. For the past 5 years I have yet to lock my doors. The first day I moved into my home, my neighbor informed me that his door was always open, and if I needed anything to just help myself. Except for a couple of so called bad areas, crime has never been an issue. Scott, if you reread the article, nowhere does it say that crime has become a problem for anyone but the contractors. (No one that I know has a need for a 10 ton hydraulic jack.) The people taking part in the criminal activity are other contractors, not citizens. All you see in your local news is New Orleans. We are nothing like that. MY town is fighting back and we will be stronger than we were before. For anyone not familiar with our towns story please check out the "Rising From Ruins" section on MSNBC.com. There you will get to read, see and here the stories of the people and not the garbage hurricane chasing criminals. Who, as soon as they're done here, can head back to Florida.
Scott Darby, Bay St Louis, MS (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:00:57 AM)
Unfortunately, men like Mr Billingsley are getting fewer and fewer. For years parents have been teaching their children that they are entitled to anything they can get their hands on and this is the result. God help us all.
Betty, North Mississippi (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:06:12 AM)
I fail to understand why the police cannot stop these thieves - good people doing good things and look what happens to them. When ALL the contractors from out of the area decide to leave because of thefts what will they do? The local contractors will simply gouge people and some people will never be able to rebuild. I pray that some of the stolen equipment is recovered and the thieves are punished to the fullest extent of the law. Bless those that are trying to do the right thing.
G D Elliott (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:07:43 AM)
The only people to blame are the ones who are doing all the stealing. Not the government, not the situation they are in, none of those things. We are all adults and know right from wrong.
Justice won't come in the form of arrests or jail time, but when they try to use one of those stole pieces of equipment the wrong way because it's as clear as day they don't know what the hell they're doing and loose and arm or leg in a slow and painful way. And when you see them face down in the gutter screaming for help, just walk right over them.
L, Florida (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:13:27 AM)
In my way of think, we need to revive a good old Southern tradition. A few very public linchings of thieves caught with another man's or woman's tools and/or equipment, would definitely cause the next person to give pause before put their hands on something that clearly they have no business touching. I know it sounds barbaric and I am not advocating vigilantism, but we need to put a stop to this and quickly.
PE Meyers, Melbourne, Florida (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:16:29 AM)
Truly this is a tradgedy. It shows an already apparent greed instilled in men that care less of their dignity as a human being, a creature of God's making.
I saw pretty much the same thing happening down here in Miami after hurricane Andrew. It was bad enough that because of shoddy workmanship on homebuilding before the storm, corners cut, etc. (greed), cheap labor building those homes (illegal immigrants are cheap labor, greed) that the structures weren't up to code initially. Those that bought the homes faithfully beleiving they were safe and sound structures were truly hurt and suffered because of that initial greed.
Then while trying to rebuild their homes, waves of out of towners were arriving to prey upon their property and the property of those trying to repair or replace those homes. Miami-Dade county jail had all kinds of new guests due to this. Now after the most recent hurricanes here, contractors were forced to hire private security firms in order to keep their repair equipment safe.
It's a sad comment on the human condition.
If Dwight Billingsley is still in the business of repairing homes in affected areas, I certainly hope that he can afford to insure his tools. Hah! Like that would at all be possible considering he's been ripped off twice by theives just as bad as the insurance companies.
Sven Bystrom (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:17:51 AM)
I just returned last night from there after a week. I helped in a distribution center in Ocean Springs. There is a huge need for volunteers but also you realize that there is a problem that runs much deeper than the obvious. Those in our group heard some terrible stories from other groups, people who break into elderly peoples homes and demand money and those that need help and have large families that don't help. As a Pastor I realize that the deep seeded problem runs much deeper than what we see on the surface and that is what causes what we see happening now when people continue to steal and abuse others. We must remember that real change occurs one person at a time and we must all work to accomplish that as best we can. "There, but by the grace of God, go I."
Don Mason, Gastonia, N.C. (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:19:40 AM)
The government steals everyday off of us-why is this different? How about FEMA's HUGE waste of monies at Katrina? A Wharton professor of mine said if it is rotten at the top, the whole pile is rotten. Look at our government and all these idiots in our country getting fake disability, social security and such and nobody is watching us THROW money out the window! We give away BILLIONS of dollars to other countries and "help" Iraq while Halliburton charges us $3+ a gallon for gas when Iraq should be giving us gas for "helping" them if they truly ant us there and Iraq is the second largest oil reserve in the world! It is about theft whether someone does it to your face or behind you back-CLEAR OUT THE ROTTEN APPLES AT THE TOP and proceed to the dirty apples on the ground including these thieves! I have never in my life seen America this weak and wounded as I see it now and it makes me sick to see unethical behavior become acceptable.
Gary E. Meyer, Merchantville, New Jersey (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:23:34 AM)
This just goes to show you have far we've fallen as a society. Nothing is sacred anymore. It's all about $$$$.
DC, Norwalk, CT (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:24:53 AM)
Just to keep this on track, the article is not about the flooding of New Orleans by levee failure. It is about things being stolen in Mississippi. You need a whole web site to deal with the NO issues. And as far as the mayor waiting to issue the evacuation order, I saw the newspaper from 2 days before the storm, Ray Nagin on the front page telling people to get out, that this was serious. 2 days is more than enough time to walk to an area above sea level from anywhere in NO.
Chris Tate, Biloxi, Mississippi (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:25:16 AM)
The police can't check every piece of equipment for numbers. Here's a clue; if a money-making machine is leaving a work area at night, it's stolen.
Bob, PA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:26:28 AM)
I agree that the thieves are a disgrace. But I am not surprised by either the stealing or the lack of protection in the disaster area. Perhaps someday this country will wake up and realize we are in trouble - serious trouble. Our government is a disgrace and is incompetent. And it will only get worse - wait until Mother Nature really starts reacting to global warming. We should all be very worried.
Brian, Philadelphia (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:29:51 AM)
My husband has been working at the Beau Rivage doing subcontracting work. He has had equipment stolen in broad daylight behind his back while he was concentrating on drilling. Thankfully, we've only lost 500 dollars worth of equipment. I feel so sorry for these guys losing such expensive pieces of equipment and trailers. Yes, the contractors are making money off of the disaster, but that doesn't justify stealing their equipment. They are simply earning a living like the rest of the USA. A lot of these companies are family-owned, family-run businesses (like ours) that can find it extremely difficult to replace valuable, expensive equipment.
So many people these days have so little honor, no sense of self-worth, and so little respect for others. We did, however, meet a busload of volunteers from outside of Savannah, Georgia, at the Wendy's in Daphne, AL, heading for the Biloxi-Gulfport area. Bless you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Jennifer P., Fairhope, AL (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:30:23 AM)
so many contractors came to the Gulf South after Katrina and Rita it was inevitable that some would take advantage of the situation. Some of them, "professional storm chasers" follow storms like migrant workers following the harvest. For many, substandard work is the standard, disappearing with a deposit is the norm, and for some outright theivery is easier than construction in 95 degree temperatures.
I feel much of the country still doesn't quite "get it" as far as our "lawlessness" goes. You have to remember that swath roughly from New Orleans through Mississippi to Alabama was devastated by Katrina and SE Texas and SW Louisiana were similarly impacted. Many of these areas have yet to repopulate so police do not have the eyes of honest citizens on the lookout. Additionally, we have all grown so used to contractors and heavy equipment we don't really pay that much attention to the workers and do not really know if they are truly workers or theives.
In New Orleans it has meant that thousands of 100+ year old homes have been strippped of priceless architectural details by theives for shipment all over the country. It is a fact of life we are fighting daily.
I would ask that before you buy that fireplace mantle, decorative molding, or other architectural detail at an auction for your own own house that you try to make sure that it hasn't been stolen from a house on the gulf coast.
By doing that you might help slow the theives.
Thanks you.
Mike B.
New Orleans
Miichael Boyle, New Orleans, Louisiana (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:34:49 AM)
God has Blessed you Brother. I understand your pain on the long and short of it it's just stuff, God gave you a gift few will recieve or understand. Walk in the light, he will take care of you.
Alan Jewell, Orlando,Fl (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:38:12 AM)
UNBELIEVABLE. We were just in Mississippi and Louisiana and viewed the devastation.(June 18th, 06) It's hard for one to believe that it has been 10 long months and so
darn little has been done. The understanding comes into focus after reading this tale. Our hearts ache for those people. It's a war zone. Our National Guard need to be in place to protect those folks and
to catch as many of these heartless homeland terrorists. That is all it is plain and simple. We are in the waste industry and have many years experience. Our efforts to help have been completely ignored. I know there are good people out there---we just don't know who to call.
dale cobb, st. louis, mo (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:38:23 AM)
It's refreshing to see the good of man when one endeavors to help another. Unfortunately it takes calamity for good will to appear.
Americans Need not upset themselves with the evil fellow Americans perform. After all this country was established on lies, looting and genecide for material material gain! Unfortunately it's as much the American way as are the virtues we hold dear.
I guess it all depends on who the beneficiaries are that classifies it as a crime or liberation.
Joe, Murphy, TX (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:47:36 AM)
In Islamic countries that follow the Koran's dictates for punishment for thieves, the right hand is cut off. The reason for this is that in their society, the right hand is used for greeting and all other social settings. The left hand is used for wiping one's self after having a bowel movement. This then renders the thief a social outcast (not to metion positivly identifying him to society). Perhaps we could learn something from our "enemies" and punish the thieves accordingly.
Rick Pace (Sent Jun 26, 2006 11:21:19 AM)
It really makes me sick that there are people out there taking from the volunteers who came to help us recover. I don't understand how someone can do that. If it wasn't for volunteers in this situation the coast would not be where it is today. People who are stealing are going to make it hard for anyone to get volunteers like Mr. Dwight. I would like to say to him thank you and please don't hold it against Mississippi, we are all not like that.
Connie Biggs, Pascagoula, Mississippi (Sent Jun 26, 2006 11:24:57 AM)
I have been to Katrina land 5 times as a volunteer and lived in La in the 80s.The thievery is a way of life. There are a lot of good people and a lot of crooks. Volunteers are still needed especially from Biloxi to Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Clermont area. Don't leave any thing unlocked or unattended. Don't knock the Army corp of engineers.More than once New Orleans was given funds to upgrade the levees and spent it elsewhere,certainly not on educating the people. Many of you have time to volunteer for a week or month. Instead of "keeping up" on what is going on or not go down and do something!
richard berry,brookville,ohio (Sent Jun 26, 2006 11:35:20 AM)
obviously all of these crooks haved learned well from our elected politicians..so what else is new ? let's keep doing the tax payer until he is finally done in..
even if they are caught nothing will happen except more tax payers dollars to defend and prosecute these dips..now the insurance companies have a new way to pass on cost via higher cost...so as you can tell the great fleacing of the american public along with everyting else..the wonderful land of the offended..
r. collins, charlotte, nc. (Sent Jun 26, 2006 11:53:46 AM)
Let the stealer steal no more, but rather let him do hard work, doing with his hands what is good work, that he may have something to distribute to someone in need.
Ephesians 4:28
“All things, therefore, that YOU want men to do to YOU, YOU also must likewise do to them...
Matthew 7:12
Wendy, San Diego, CA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 11:56:28 AM)
It is very disheartening to hear of such travesties but we shouldn't define humanity by a few bad apples. I believe the majority of people are basically good. As unfortunate as this may sound, Mr. Billingsley should hire security guards to guard his equipment and work site and add the cost to the projects. Mr Billingsley sounds like a good person and it is sad to see him walk away and let evil triumph.
Laural Bernard, La Verne, CA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 12:00:33 PM)
Those people that would steal equipment from folks that are trying to help were rotten to start with. They are the types that would steal milk from a welfare family. No amount of goodness will keep you safe from them, anymore than being vegetarian will keep the tiger from eating you.
Kate Smith, Franklin, TN (Sent Jun 26, 2006 12:35:40 PM)
This is as bad as people claiming they lost family in the World Trade Center, then making and spending enormous insurance claims. It is awful. But at the same time, you cannot be naive about securing the items you need to make money for your livelihood. If there is no place to look up your work tools and vehicles, then you need to find a secure place where you can and add those extra charges to what it costs per hour to do your job. I hope this does not stop people from doing good deeds. But I do hope people realize, there is a thief around every corner just waiting for a chance to steal something from you.
Jacki Whitford, Falls Church, VA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 12:45:18 PM)
It is good to help others and be a GOOD SAMARITAN as God calls us to do, but we must also remember, we live in a world where people who are not born again Christians and living for the Lord Jesus, will and do steal, among doing other ungodly actions. We must be a wise as a Serpent and HARMLESS as a dove. And wisdom is know of it's children.
May God continue to Bless America and show us Mercy!
Genevieve in Phoenix AZ
Phoenix AZ (Sent Jun 26, 2006 1:05:46 PM)
It's really sad to know that there are people out there so low as to steal from victims of a major disaster. It's just another testament to the fact that America needs tougher crime penalties, because the current ones don't deter crime as much as they should.
Mike Eller, Fayetteville AR (Sent Jun 26, 2006 1:34:27 PM)
I agree that these thieves need to be castrated, shot & hung. They are really sick, depraived individuals. How terribly sad that they steal from good samaritans. It's too bad that the hurricane didn't kill all these sleazebags. Unfortunately Katrina took alot of innocent people instead.
Sad & Sickened, Milwaukee, WI (Sent Jun 26, 2006 1:38:49 PM)
That's so wack. Instead of cooperating with each other in the time of need, these Lousiana idiots are stealing equipment from people who are trying to help. This is why progress is slow!
Upset, NJ (Sent Jun 26, 2006 1:43:06 PM)
What is that Ole American saying:" The end justifies the means?". How many rigs does a man have to steal to get rich? How many American blue bloods have a history of stealing from the needy?
Terence Roberts, Atlanta Ga. (Sent Jun 26, 2006 2:00:57 PM)
I would like to see the thieves who are stealing from their competitors to get a leg up on them be permanantly banned from all disaster zones in the future as punishment. And the good decent hard working men and women like Mr. Billingsley be given top priority in contracts in the future.
A. Nonymous Denver CO (Sent Jun 26, 2006 2:04:43 PM)
I think what is going in in Miss. is crazy and so sad for someone to do things like that to people who are trying to help the gulf coast and if they were caught i think they should be put to death are spend the rest of there dirty rotten lives in jail.
Domonika Nelson, Larose ,Louisiana (Sent Jun 26, 2006 2:18:36 PM)
To Scott Southerland.
I live in Bay Saint Louis. What kind of person am I?
One who's never been in trouble with the law, comes from
a good home and has an excellent education, has a
great family and a good job.
Careful with that tar brush.
J., BSL (Sent Jun 26, 2006 2:33:45 PM)
Sorry but if youre trying to make money off it youre not a 'good samaritan'. a cousin of mine flew out there from los angeles to help out as a nurse and only got to work one day out of a week being there because the red tape was so bad. down here in south miami after katrina passed through and flooded everything on its way to the gulf people were claiming all sorts of fema damage and then went and used the money to have brand new pools and remodeling work done on their houses. i swear the culture of greed down here in south florida is terrible along with the racism. when my lease is up im getting the hell back to california. the place is beautiful, the people are terrible, selfish, inconsiderate and rude.
Chris Hind (Sent Jun 26, 2006 2:34:37 PM)
what is wrong with these people? Instead of waiting for someone else to help them, why don't they go to guys like this to find a job and help out their neighbors instead of stealing from them?
Chuck (Sent Jun 26, 2006 2:40:27 PM)
I am terribly saddened. What has happened to us as a society? As a mother I am frightened with the world we are leaving to our children. I can barely put into the words the sadness I feel in my heart over the criminals that are benefiting off of the despair of those in their own communities. No matter what your standing in life, rich or poor, to elevate yourself at the expense of others is horrible, shameful etc. These people should no longer consider themselves human beings but subhuman, worthless individuals.
Tina Campbell, Huntingtown, MD (Sent Jun 26, 2006 2:41:41 PM)
Chris, I think your thinking of N.Orleans. This is Mississippi. Probably going to sound like a back seat driver, but the Army General or whom ever is running FEMA should be there coordinating things and guarding equitpment, supplies, providing law enforcement and everything else not thought of by the other guy that was running FEMA. The trucks and equiptment should be in an area guarded by soldiers when ness. This has been going on for months now and the same mistakes keep popping up. These people who are stealing the equipt. are looters and should be shot on site. Sorry, but tough.
Hugh W. Sterling VA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:04:23 PM)
With all the big donations from people in the last few days to charities, maybe someone could help back a regular"joe" like this who just wants to help those less fortunate, and turns out being less fortunate himself by having his tools and equipment stolen....what a sorry race we have become.
donny, Dallas Texas (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:13:59 PM)
I am not surprised, the moral decay of this country is very low. No one thinks anything of taking anything any more no matter what the item is. I own a small business, and believe it or not people steal copy paper, for what who knows, but they steal it. That is why I have given up on our so called law enforcement and justic system. I was also recently on jury duty. The juriors who where chosen stated they would follow the judges orderes/statements. So that there tells you how poor our system is. No wonders criminals get away with everything, there is no justic any more. No penalty for anything. The only way to stop this kind of thing is to defend yourself, waiting on the police or justic system it will just never happen. Katrinia has only just brought this problem to light and possibly opened some eyes. If you want change; then vote the same people out of office you voted for last time. You elect the same person and expect a different result. If we as American's want our country to improve, we all have to stand up and say Enough!
Donna, Yakima, WA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:22:49 PM)
I once picked up a dog that had been hit by a car and was lying in the middle of the street. It was in severe pain and bit me two or three times on the arm before I got it to the side of the road. Although the bites hurt, I understood the dog could not reason and was reacting to pain in the only way he knew how. But we are not dogs and we can reason. From what I understand about the humane society is dogs are tested before setup for adoption. And one test is to see if they will bite the hand that feeds them. If they do then they are deemed unfit for adoption and humanely euthenized. Maybe we can extend the same courtesy to those robbing and stealing from the very people that are there to help them.
JK Chicago, IL (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:30:34 PM)
Mr. Billingsley should set up a pay-pal account to accept donations. As for the looters and thieves, well, I believe taking a sledghammer to the knees, but that's just me.
J Money, LA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:34:05 PM)
What sickens me more than the crimes themselves are that the only people using that kind of big equipment are other contractors, let me tell you my friends Karma is a bitch, and there is no honor among thieves, the stolen goods you buy today are most likely going to be stolen from you tomorrow, plus some. Sleep lightly.
Kevin, San Diego CA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:39:49 PM)
It's such a shame that people are so willing to make a buck that they'd take the shirt off the back of thier own mothers.
What we need are more safegaurds for honest, good people who choose to defend themselves and thier ways of life. I can just imagine that a thief can be shot and killed stealing some $10,000 dollar equipment, and the owner, who was only protecting his right to live as he chooses, would be sued by the thief's family.
America has taken a turn for the worst, and I don't see any way this country will ever "come together" save another 9/11...and even then, once the memories soften, it's back to the rat race.
It's getting harder and harder to be proud to be an American.
Kelly Johnson, Bolingbrook IL (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:40:41 PM)
MR. BILLINGSLEY, THE NEXT PIECE OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT YOU SHOULD PURCHASE IS A SHOTGUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RODNEY BROOKLYN NEW YORK (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:44:21 PM)
What do you expect from the welfare capitol of the world? Half of these people never had a job, and never will have a job. They steal for a living.
darrin hedges, Nebraska (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:52:18 PM)
I knew this kind of stuff would happen. All these so called thieves need to be put in cages like animals. All they want to do is smoke Crack and Drink ounce beers.
Philip J, Los Angeles CA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 3:57:34 PM)
Time for street executions. During the expansion west (manifest destiny) everyone was armed and law was hard to find. Most people watched thier step as to not get into a gunfight with an individual. Personal firearms and community justice were the "law" for pioneers. Now we have governments, local officials, fema, national guard, state and local police....but we suffer from LESS justice and equal punishment. Its time for the days of crafty vigilanties, organized, armed civilian patrols and swift punishment....because nobody else can be trusted.....not even the louisiana police.
the angered, harrisburg, PA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 4:05:29 PM)
This is America? One would think we were sitting reading this as it is occurring in another land. Surely the liberals in America reading this can see the need the Right to Bare Arms to defend from theives like these...more than likely the liberals will be up in arms over a theif being shot for stealing.
Rita, Charlottesville, Virginia (Sent Jun 26, 2006 4:10:21 PM)
Hey, Harrisburg, did you take a basic Geography class or American history? If you did, you would know that Mississippi is NOT located in New Orleans. Whatever occurred in Louisiana did not in MS. SO, do not insult local officials by comparing them to Ray Nagin. The mayor's along the Coast ordered the evacuation. The officials did not "sell them out" as you stated. We are above sea level and in some areas as high as 35 feet. Invest in a little knowledge before commenting on what is happening in the Bay/Waveland area which (if you read the by-line) is in MISSISSIPPI.
Michelle, Bay St. Louis, MS (Sent Jun 26, 2006 4:19:08 PM)
Dear Dwight,
My prayers are with you and your workers and your family.
Is it possible to get your email so we can help out in anyway? if so let me know
God's Peace and Blessings
Cliff Sauer (Sent Jun 26, 2006 4:19:33 PM)
I'm disappointed in so many ways the Government's handling of the New Orleans tragedy, But I am also familiar with that area. It has long been on many
prayer lists of many people. My heart is sad for Mr Billingsley, but,rest assured,God was watching that
dark night,and He still rewards compassion, empathy,
and kindness, But; also cowardice, and corruption.
Larry Ingle-Panama City, Florida (Sent Jun 26, 2006 4:22:41 PM)
Hey, Scott, I live in Bay St. Louis and have had property since 1973. Where do you get off calling in the national guard on the Bay/Waveland area? If anything, the police force is in need of more officers. The crime in the area increased and can be attributed to the increase in population along the Coast with the rebuilding. Am I saying that every outsider is to blame? Absolutely not! Without the volunteers and others, the Coast would be further behind in rebuilding. If you want to discuss what should happen in Louisiana, then call out the National Guard and ask to have Ray Nagin and Warren Rily removed from office.
As far as the Bay/Waveland area is concerned, do not insult "the types of people that live in the area" because I am one of them. I am not a criminal nor a "type" that you felt the need to describe. Our crime rates were at an all-time low, Pre-Katrina. And, our officers do quite a fine job. Over 90% of the officers employed Pre-Katrina stayed in Hancock County for rescues, patrols, and enforcement. Some of these people that you are insulting happened to lose a station and rode the storm out in a tree. Some of the other officers rescued a family in a Suburban that was trapped in the water that made national news. These guys should be commended instead of receiving your insults. So, posters, the description provided by Scott is way off. If you knew so much about the area, you would know. And, as far as moving to Fort Walton Beach, the area between Beal Parkway and Mary Esther Cutoff is not much better than what you are describing. So, you may be better off by being out of New Orleans, but FWB is far from being Utopia.
Michelle, Bay St. Louis, MS (Sent Jun 26, 2006 4:29:54 PM)
I'm sure that the people that are making such nasty comments about their fellow Americans that live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast will not read this --- but why don't you come down here and get to know us instead of being hateful and mean. What TV shows do you watch that use the stereotypes of "all people that live in the South" are ignorant and on and on!! I hope you also realize that it only takes a few bad apple to spoil a good harvest. The few that stole the equipment do not represent the rest of us that live here. How does anyone know where these people came from. Do the math, there are people working here from all over this country. I also resent anyone saying we are all on welfare, have no education and sit around drinking beer all day. I have a master's degree (and my husband does also), we give money to those in need and wine is my drink of choice. I feel very badly for all that the contractor lost but I am sure that Dwight has also received a lot of blessings for all that he has done here these past months.
shine, pass christian, MS (Sent Jun 26, 2006 4:51:00 PM)
It's good to see that our present gov't, duly elected on a "morals" platform have had such a positive effect. Our lightning-fast response to the disaster, efficient use of emergency funds, cohesive workings amongst different gov't agencies and now the protection of the residents, workers and volunteers. AWESOME! Can't we elect our stand-up guy down-to-earth well informed and grounded president to a permanent post? Two more years may not be quite enough to completely de-moralize our citizens.
Eric Donahue New Smyrna Beach, Fl. (Sent Jun 26, 2006 5:01:56 PM)
Re: Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA, not to mention have re-elected the same Mayor, who is now battling the rampant crime he turned a blind eye to before Katrina. It seems we are no longer a God fearing nation but one possesed by corruption and crime.
Carol Giblin, Shreveport, LA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 5:37:37 PM)
It is a shame that we have have such evil people in the world. We have people that will drop everything to come help and our treated like this. Makes you wonder if you want to help yourself.
Kimberly Houston Texas (Sent Jun 26, 2006 5:53:43 PM)
As sad as it is, unfortunitely, this is waht happens when it has come to the survival of the fittest, or in this case.. of the theif. It is sad but we are a country that was formed on STOLEN land. Very little has changed from that time. those who really care and can help those who cannot simple sit back and review what others do and make analysis. I've been there andvolunteered severl times and once you get there if you have a heart you do what you can and sometimes it just may be to cry with the victims because there lives will never be yhe same. And the thieves will still be crouching at the door.
cee harris, mississippi (Sent Jun 26, 2006 5:56:03 PM)
It's sad this occur to someone who has a big heart but God is our ultimate punisher and he will send his raft to take care of those who are using other people misfortunate for their evil gain.
praying angels, cleveland, ohio (Sent Jun 26, 2006 6:30:48 PM)
Welfare capitol of the world???? Are you kidding me???? The MS Coast is far from being hte welfare capitol of the world. Are people around this country that far removed that they can not even realize that Mississippi is not part of Louisiana???? Did you think that Katrina only hit New Orleans???? Good grief....If I used that train of thought, then I would think the Cornhuskers were from Illinois!!! Get a map, folks!!! If you feel that things are handled so bad, come se for yourself.
Michelle, Bay St. Louis, MS (Sent Jun 26, 2006 6:40:45 PM)
Let these people rebuild their homes for christ sake they been through to much.....hope these thieves get caught. Not even gonna ask where the governments been through this whole ordeal its sad it really is.
Joe Shetter Pittsburgh, Pa. (Sent Jun 26, 2006 7:08:12 PM)
We can truly sympathize with Mr. Billingsley, I came back from Tallahassee Florida with a generator and power tools for my husband after our home flooded out. He begain using the tools to help put the roof back on St. Rose de Lima in Bay St. Louis, as well as helping our neighbors and businesses with their properties.
While getting clothing and food one fine afternoon all of the tools and our generator were stolen off our property. Not only is it a crime but the local police did nothing to assist in the crime, becasue they were too were short handed and lacked the necccessary personnel to help.
It has been a frustrating and vicious cycle of thieves ve. honest citizens who are trying despreadly to rebuild. Don't like the contractors competition, stay out of our area. We can all do bad by ourselves, we do not need theives from other states coming across the border and taking what little we do have.
I m so very sorry for the horrible behavior of our Southern neighbors Mr. Billingsley and I hope you can finish your home and get back safely to Arkansa. Truly sorry for all the bad that has come out of all of our losses. God Bless.
Steven & Schonda Kinney (Sent Jun 26, 2006 7:56:43 PM)
HOW SAD WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANYMORE.THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH "WILL I GET CAUGHT OR NOT". THE LAST GREAT GENERATION WAS MY GRANDPARENTS GENERATION. THEY HAD HONOR AND PRIDE AND WOULD NEVER EVEN THINK OF DOING ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE TO THIS. I'M 45 YEARS OLD AND AM ASHAMED OF MY GENERATION.OUR GIFT TO SOCIETY IS THE QUICK DIVORCE, THE "I"LL SUE YOU MENTALITY" AND IT'S NOT MY FAULT ATTITUDE. THANK YOU MR. BILLINGSLEY FOR BEING A SORELY NEEDED EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE SHOULD ALL BE LIKE.
MARK JOLLIFF PLEASANT HILL CA (Sent Jun 26, 2006 9:28:27 PM)
The ruthless decions of others may shock everyone, and we may have our one sided opinons, but i dare not judge these people instead i pray that not only i but they change there ways because we have all been misguided i know that our God will not only help but protect the innocent so to the family and people giving up so much i would like to thank you and i would like to let you you know that your heart of purity and unselfishness will be rewarded. Thankyou!
Matthew Moreno, San Antonio, TX (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:20:44 PM)
For those who want to know where the police are and for those who have stated that thievary is a way of life here, I'd like to address you. I've lived here all of my life and have never had to lock a window or door. I've alway felt safe until after Katrina. When all the workers came from other states, that's when the crime rate shot up. The drunken driving incidents have shot sky high, and yes, it's the out of towners doing the vast majority of this. When there is a murder anywhere near in the vicinity of my home, it has been immigrant workers who were responsible. Most of the police, whom you are so quick to condemn, have lost their homes and family, friends, and have been working through all of this as diligently as possible. They are overworked and understaffed to deal with a disaster of this magnitude. If you feel the need to lay blame for the thievary, you may actually have to look in your own neighborhood. Some of these people here doing these horrible things could be your neighbors. They've come here to take advantage of the work and of the workers themselves. Don't jump in and generalize and condemn when you have no idea what you're talking about.
Rhonda, Mississippi (Sent Jun 26, 2006 10:46:06 PM)
How dare Mr. Billingsley and these other selfish contractors go to areas hit by Katrina to make a profit. They shouldn't complain when their things are taken by those less fortunate. If they were truely unselfish they would gladly give their tools and equipment to the victims of Katrina. Instead their greed drives them to profit from the misery of otheres. For shame!
JG, Boulder, CO (Sent Jun 26, 2006 11:04:07 PM)
These are the few good reasons to cut the hands of the theives. You call it cruel , but God has already set these rules 1400 years ago through ISLAM to eliminate unnecessary sufferings. Its is not that you cut both of their hands, just one and after two or three no body will steal a penny. Indeed God's logic is far beyond our thinking.
Rizwan Ahmed,Buffalo,NY (Sent Jun 27, 2006 12:37:45 AM)
Darrin in Nebraska and Upset in NJ, did you read the part about the man who stole a trailer and a bulldozer in Missouri and drove it down to Bay St. Louis? He then stole a 25-foot cabin cruiser and was driving it away, back to Missouri, when a co-worker saw him and tried to stop him. He was arrested in Missouri and faces grand larceny charges now. He wasn't from the Coast. The stealing of heavy equipment is done by dishonest people who come to steal, not help. Most of the people who have come down here have been upstanding salt-of-the- earth types, but there have been some crooks, too. And we aren't New Orleans. We are the Mississippi Gulf Coast. And Darrin, we all don't live on welfare. People like you need to become more educated.
Jane, Southern Mississippi (Sent Jun 27, 2006 2:51:58 AM)
One thing bothers me, I seen on TV that Billionaries were donating money to help people. Hey this is great however all these donations are going overseas! How come some of this money (say 10%) could not be channeled to the Katrina areas. Could The Corp of Engineers use a couple of more bucks to add additional reinforcement to the levies? Could these contractors use a little of this money to help pay the workers? Also could some money be spent to hire guards were the equipment is parked to maintain security for these contractors?
Roy Minut, Tulsa, OK (Sent Jun 27, 2006 5:06:27 AM)
Mr. Billingsley had a perfect right to go down there and make money, and possibly get rich. He was doing it LEGALLY! He just found out that he was a civilized human being able to have compassion for human misery. A former writer hit the nail on the head when he said he had his "area" fenced off, with an armed guard and a couple of junkyard dogs. If that's what it takes...so be it! It's a cheap price to pay to protect costly equipment. Those thieves are no more than morderen day horse thieves, and should be shot or hung on sight. If the local authorities will do nothing, it's up to the contractors to protect their own property. We will always have thieves among us...this is not a perfect world, and never will be. If you give a thief the opportunity..........he/she, will take it, whether in the disaster area, or any local Wal-Mart! Wise men usually forsee potential problems. Mr. Billingsley's heart was in the right place, however HE was in the wrong place to be that trusting.
Jerry Waterville, ME. (Sent Jun 27, 2006 5:17:30 AM)
I personally don't care if the contractor in this
story is looking to get rich. It's the American Way.
He wasn't going to steal it - he was going to
work hard for it.
We took on "only" 2' of water in our home. Between
waiting for flood insurance settlements and finding
a contractor who is reliable, we're just now getting
under way with repairs. It's an indication of how
badly our faith in human honesty has been shaken
that we were overjoyed when our contractor showed up
at the time he told us he would! That's a first.
There have been stories of "workmen" showing up to
an empty home and completely stripping out copper
wiring, copper fixtures, light fixtures....no one
in the neighborhood stops them because everyone
thinks they were sent by the owner. Amazing. I would
rather give a crackhead the equivalent cash value
than have to find a contractor _again_ to reinstall
everything.
J., soon to be former resident of Bay Saint Louis (Sent Jun 27, 2006 7:30:44 AM)
I dought the thieves are local {most anyway} and a penny antie thief or crackhead wouldn't know where to sell or how to use most of the stuff....one thing I have heard from many posting....and fully agree with is...SHOTGUN!!!
andy,booneville ms. (Sent Jun 27, 2006 8:06:37 AM)
Thats my dad.....I to saw the devistation and evil first hand....i've visited Waveland, MS to help my dad on several different occasions and each time I went it he had different stories to tell me. People barely working during the day but the bars and taverns are full day and night. My dad dropped everything he had to go to a place and put blood sweet and tears into to something, OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF HIS HEART and this is what he gets in return. Thank you MSNBC for shedding some light on this situation and to all of you who commented. When i first heard of the crew going down and interviewing my dad i was taken back cause, we've always said that someone needs to know about this, but who do you go to, when even the police are running around like animals? And everyone thinks you're crazy? The devistaion there is unbelivable but the evil even more unbelievable. Its becoming more and more like the Wild West without a sheriff to control everything. If you'd like to know how you can help, please email us @ dwightbillingsley@sbcglobal.net
Stephen Billingsley (Sent Jun 27, 2006 8:34:34 AM)
It is a shame that there are degenerates out there-unfortunately, that is the time we live in-courts are not tough enough on the criminal elements-the left leaning bench of justice is not harsh nor swift-bring God back into the schools and maybe things will change-I am not a "bible thumper" by any stretch-but we need to regain the morality that our country was founded on.
Bob Patterson, Columbia, MO (Sent Jun 27, 2006 9:24:20 AM)
i hope that the theives really feel good about themselves some day they will get theirs when they need help and no one there to help them
joe steward Xenia Ohio (Sent Jun 27, 2006 9:38:41 AM)
This story does not surprise me. From the first days of Katrina, I knew this situation would turn into a nightmare (I guess we all did). The mojarity of People just dont care anymore-about anything. Its just about what they can get or do for themselves-to hell with the next guy. I blame our government and president-this situation should of been handled in a much more controlled way. The stories of how much money is being wasted down there are just unbelievable-they sound like its some 3rd world country. The USA was the greatest country in the world at one time-our government is slowly destroying that fact. I hate to see what the next 25 years bring.
Thomas Miller , Morganton, North Carolina (Sent Jun 27, 2006 9:46:19 AM)
Life is a test. How will we pass?
Robert Watts (Sent Jun 27, 2006 10:43:18 AM)
These stories really piss me off. Everyone talks about what a great country this is! - there is still no place i would rather live but we are far from perfect. There seems to be 1000's of a$$holes for every Mr. Billingsley. I don't know that the answers are - but we need a better sense of community. There is simply too much greed. I think greed is the root of most of the evil in this world.
Fred (Sent Jun 27, 2006 10:47:37 AM)
I am the wife of Dwight. I would just like to thank all the positive comments that have been made concerning our situation. Theres no easy solutions for these problems that we face in this world, but I do know of the promises that we have been given according to the Word of God (the Bible). Light will triumph over darkness! To all those who are still suffering from this devastation, Isaiah 40:31 says but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. (NIV).Also, Matthew 11:28 says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(NIV)
And to those who are stealing and God knows what else you are doing, I DARE you to read Isaiah 59 and then read John 3:16. I'll be praying for all of you!
Sandra Billingsley (Sent Jun 27, 2006 10:51:56 AM)
Mr.Bilingley.You are commended for what you have done for others,The thieves may have taken a lot of what you have,But you & the people that you have helped,& continue to help are the real winners.You have a lot of love in your heart,& those bad people have no heart..
Jmd (Sent Jun 27, 2006 11:15:53 AM)
Sould we be surprised? These same people bilked the government out of $2 BILLION in relief funds taking advantage of a system that was ill equipped to handle the scope of the disaster. Then they are adding insult to injury by stealing from the individuals that have been trying to rebuild their city. I realize it's a minority of people doing these horrible things and I hate to generalize, but in this situation, it just doesn't pay to help people. I say next time this happens (and there will be a next time) let these people sit in their own flith!
Chris, Austin, Texas (Sent Jun 27, 2006 11:32:53 AM)
These acts are yet another example of the lawlessness in the southern states. While there are educated and upstanding citizens in these areas, they are regretfully the minority. We continually hear stories of the theft and looting from abandoned homes, of people trying to rob and cheat the systems that were set up to help them. These people are not my 'fellow Americans,' these people show no respect for the hard work and determination that make this country great; therefore I have no problem with making remarks that are less than favorable on thier behalf.
Megan, Westminser, MD (Sent Jun 27, 2006 11:39:49 AM)
Enough with the crime. "Get a gun?" You guys are setting us up for Beirut. Tell Mr Pres to get off his presidential bottom and deligate. He wouldn't want to get his hands dirty, so find someone else to.
We have a GREAT system....Guns will surely help...NOT!
Elaine Vancouver Wa (Sent Jun 27, 2006 12:50:23 PM)
There are pl