Virtually every business has been hit by the so-called rascal gangs. "We were hearing of people being stabbed in the street and stores getting broken into", states shipping manager Adam Butler. Under equipped and demoralised, "The police have thrown in the towel. They don't really give a damn any more" complains Bruce Alexander. So locals have taken the law into their own hands. Every Friday and Saturday, they put on uniforms and collect their weapons for another night patrolling the town. "In the last six months, we've taken out just about all of the top ten criminals in Rabaul", boasts one.