JEDDAH, 10 December — Owners of expensive cars who are attending night prayers at mosques in Al-Salama district have expressed their concern about safety in the area. Recently a number of cars in the neighborhood were broken into and valuables from them were stolen.
A total of 13 new cars were burgled after their windshields were smashed. Some of them were parked near Al-Shoaibi mosque in Al-Salama district, close to Madinah road. The victims blame police for not preventing the crimes.
Some of the victims did not bother to complain to police because they believe that nothing would come of it but more time wasted, according to Al-Watan newspaper. Those who sought police help were disappointed. The car owners had to spend several hours at the police station to complete simple formalities, such as having their fingerprints taken and returning to locate the exact scene of the crime. Although one week has passed since the event, police could not trace the criminals.
Some of the victims put the blame squarely on the Jeddah police director for allowing such crimes to take place during the nights of the holy month while some others blamed the district police officer for his failure to discharge his duties. They ask why police patrols are not doing their duty in guaranteeing the safety of the residents in the district.
When contacted the district police office to find out if there had been any progress in the investigations, an officer present at the station declined to give a clear answer. Instead, Lt. Col. Huza Al-Shareef said: "Go to the police director. If I had any information, I would give it to you. But I don’t have any."
In the police station, things move at an even slower pace. The person issuing a complaint should give a statement in which he should mention who committed the crime or whom he suspects, an official said.
One such man said he had waited from 9 p.m., the time when he made the complaint, till 1 a.m. to complete the formalities.
