Southside families targeted by thieves

Many on the southside affected by July's flood are now the target of thieves, the sheriff's department explains how they're responding to the increase.

Just when it seems things can't get much worse for southside residents affected by this past summer's flood, at least one family says it has, and they're not the only ones now victimized twice.

Kq2's ron johnson has that family's story as well as what local law enforcement are doing about it.

<<ron johnson reportingwhen the water began to rise in the southend, 17 year old jesse flaherty and his mom knew they had to act fast..

It just got higher and higher and higher until we finally had to leave.

They fled their southside home of about two years to stay with a relative, flaherty says the adjustment's been hard on both of them.we all suddenly had to drop everything and move because there was just nothing we could do while they're still trying to recover what happened next seemingly adds insult to injury, flaherty says his family got a phone call from a neighborour neighbor called either my mom or my brother, told them that our back door was open, they went over there and just everything was thrown about the place.

Their home was burglarized, flaherty says it doesn't surprise him.

You know, being lived in the south end for so long i kind of expected it to happen.

It made me feel invaded i guess.it does upset local law enforcement who say the flaherty's case is one of many.

It's very disheartening to think that individuals would victimize people who've already suffered such a traumatic losssheriff bill puett says his department has assisted st.

Joseph police in conducting extra patrols in the area since the flood though, he adds being vigilant is a community effort.

If folks that are supposed to be down there know who's supposed to be down there see something that's not right, they should call the communications center and have law enforcement respond don't wait.

They're hoping that along all of the effort put in to helping victims like the flahertys get back on their feet, can overshadow the crime.

Thoughts and prayers go out to these folks we hope that people can continue to help them.

Ron johnson kq2 news>> flaherty says his mother is disabled and the two are working with the community action partnership to replace the items that were stolen from