Police are using drones to patrol the deserted streets of Whaley Bridge in a bid to deter would-be burglars.
A callous opportunist broke into a house in the evacuation zone after the mass evacuation.
Fortunately, they didn't take anything.
Around 1,500 people had to leave their homes due to fears the dam at Toddbrook Reservoir could collapse, putting lives at risk.
During a meeting with police, other residents reported their houses had been burgled since they were forced to leave last Thursday.
In response, Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Swann said the force was using a drone to patrol the empty streets.
Over the weekend, residents were allowed briefly into their properties to collect items, but a small number of people remained in 22 properties on Sunday evening.
Dep Chief Cons Swann said those who have defied orders to leave are not only putting their own lives at risk, but also those of emergency services staff who may have to look for them if the dam does break.
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She said: "We've not evacuated this for no reason.
"We've evacuated this because there is real prospect the dam could fail and if it fails it is catastrophic. People would die if they were in that evacuation zone.
"So those people who remain in that zone are putting their lives at risk.
"They are also putting the lives of the responders, primarily the police, at risk because we have to keep going in and speaking to them and asking them to leave."
Water levels at the reservoir have been reduced by more than 3.5 metres and, fortunately for workers at the site, Sunday's forecast of thunderstorms did not materialise.
The Met Office said there was a risk of some showers overnight into Monday, but these would likely amount to just one or two millimetres of rainfall in the area.
Derbyshire chief fire officer Terry McDermott said specialist engineers have monitored the dam wall 24 hours a day with lasers and are reassured by their assessment.
He said: "There has been no significant deflection in the dam wall according to the feedback we've had so far, which gives us some reassurance."
He added that a seven-day estimate for how long people would be out of their homes was a "worst case scenario".
He explained that the sluice channel around the reservoir was "coping well" with both the water being pumped out by 22 pumps and the inflow to the lake which has been blocked off by RAF Chinook drops.
A spokeswoman for Derbyshire Police confirmed the force received one report of a burglary in the evacuation zone.
No items were taken and there were no signs of forced entry, she added.
