P

eople in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, have been anxious over the past week as a result of rampant theft, threatening on Wednesday to take the law into their own hands if the police failed to catch the perpetrators.

People expressed various thoughts about the widespread theft and robbery. Some said they would paralyze the culprits if they caught them, while others said they would beat them unconscious and set them on fire.

'€œWe'€™ll burn the perpetrators and then call the police to take them to the hospital for autopsies,'€ said Muhammad Isnaeni, expressing annoyance at the apparent inaction by the police when it came to robbery and muggings in Palu.

Another man, Harry Azis, said he would maim any thief he heard of being caught by members of the public.

Thieves in Palu operate not only on the streets but also at mosques. A congregation member of the Lolu Grand Mosque in East Palu said a number of cars parked at the mosque during Dzuhur noon prayers had been vandalized recently.

'€œThe thieves smashed the windows of five cars and took the owners'€™ belongings from inside the cars,'€ said M. Ilyas, a congregant, said on Wednesday.

On the same day, thieves snatched a purse and a cell phone belonging to a woman named Minarni, who had just returned from the market. People who witnessed the incident chased the thieves until Jl. Dewi Sartika and found the purse, ID card and photographs of the victim strewn on the street.

At noon Monday, a teacher was robbed on Jl. MH Thamrin. The thieves got away with Rp 2 million (US$148), two cell phones and an ATM card.

On the same day, motorist Pataruddin was forced to make a U-turn on Jl. Wolter Monginsidi in East Palu after learning that robbers were stopping passing motorcycles under a footbridge in front of the Tatura shopping mall.

'€œSome motorcyclists who had turned back warned me to make a U-turn due to the presence of the robbers ahead, so I turned back,'€ Pataruddin told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

At night, a man crossing Jl. Cumi-Cumi in West Palu was rushed to the hospital after being hit by an arrow in the right arm. The perpetrators managed to flee.

Palu councilor Mohammad Rum urged Palu residents to exercise caution when traveling and proposed that people carry sharp weapons for self-defense.

'€œIf the police can'€™t protect people, then people should protect themselves. Instead of dying in vain, it would be better to carry a weapon for self-defense when going outdoors,'€ said Rum.

Rum said the Palu city council would hold a public hearing featuring the Palu Police chief and city officials, especially the local National Unity Agency.

'€œWe just want to ask about the police'€™s performance and why incidences of theft and robbery are very common in Palu city,'€ said Rum.

When contacted separately, Palu Police chief Sr. Comr. Basya Radyananda declined to comment on the crimes and only said he would hold a media conference on Feb. 8.

'€œJust wait until Monday, we will display the evidence and suspects, and then invite the media,'€ said Basya.

At least five cases of theft and robbery occurred in the past three days. Some of the victims were injured by the perpetrators.