Police have received reports that looters are targeting homes abandoned by people fleeing the NSW bushfires.
Commissioner Andrew Scipione says there's no indication looting is widespread but warns offenders will pay if caught.
"You could count on your left hand the number of reports we've had of looting so far," Mr Scipione said on Monday.
"It's probably the lowest act that you could be involved in (and) it's probably the worst thing you could do to a victim of a bushfire that's either lost their home or left their home to save their lives."
More than 200 homes have been destroyed in the blazes that have roared across the state since Thursday.
He said uniformed and plain-clothes police are patrolling fire-affected areas and will deal "very harshly" with looters.
Premier Barry O'Farrell says he is appalled at the reports.
"I'm just appalled that, at these critical times, when people have been evacuated from homes or whether people have left homes because of fire dangers, that other scumbags in the community would front up and seek to rob them," he said in Sydney.
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