A well-organized group of people determined to rob and steal to survive, or even prosper at the expense of others during a period of lawlessness, will move from household to household, and from homestead to homestead, stealing supplies as they go. It is not improbable that they can hopscotch through the countryside this way.

People will not sit still and starve, and even some of those who would never have dreamt of harming a neighbor during good times, will rationalize "temporarily" setting aside their morality in order to feed their families. Rabble-rousers will demonize the "haves" as being either: 1) the rich who "got us into this mess," 2) "profiteeers" who have benefitted from chaos at the "average person's" expense, or 3) "hoarders" who are responsible for a scarcity of supplies and who are "holding out" on "the rest of us".

Protection will come as it always does, through an organized militia that is better coordinated and has better arms and communication than the roving bands of thieves. Justice will be dispensed locally. If a larger force comes one's way (an army), you'll give them what they want and profess loyalty to their cause, or flee and become a refugee.