Officials in Buffalo, New York said Wednesday night that 10 arrests had been made in response to looting following a deadly winter storm that ravaged the region over the Christmas weekend.
The Buffalo Police Department said the arrests were conducted by its newly created anti-looting task force. The group was formed after reports of break-ins to businesses as the storm halted daily life in the city.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the police department.
BUFFALO POLICE INVESTIGATE LOOTING AFTER WINTER STORM FREEZES NORTHWEST NEW YORK
The Buffalo Police Department’s anti-looting detail shot video of stores that were looted during the winter storm on Christmas weekend. As of Wednesday night, 10 arrests have been related to looting, authorities said.
(Buffalo Police Department)
On Tuesday, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia warned that looting would not be tolerated.
“This isn’t people stealing food and medicine and diapers. They are destroying stores. They are stealing televisions, couches, whatever else they can get their hands on. They’re opportunists,” he said at a press conference.
“All you’re doing is destroying the resource you have when you need to go to the store again and buy food or whatever else that you need. You’re destroying your community. It will not be tolerated.”
WESTERN NY DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO CLIMB AS WINTER STORM RAGES ON
Buffalo was hit with more than five feet of snow over the holiday weekend, burying homes and stores. As of Thursday, there were 39 deaths, including 31 in Buffalo, across western New York, Fox 29 reported.
Officials recovered 17 bodies outside homes, 11 inside homes and the rest were found in cars, the news outlet said.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz thanked first responders and apologized for comments criticizing Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and the city’s “embarrassing” response to the storm.
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“I shouldn’t have done it, simple as that,” Poloncarz said. “There’s plenty of time for these discussions in the future. Right now, we need to focus on moving forward. We can always be critical of others, and I need to be critical of myself for what I did yesterday. It was just wrong. It was inappropriate.”
Fox News’ Paul Best contributed to this report.
