A roadside banner that reads "Police will shoot purse-snatchers on motorbikes if they resist arrest" has stunned the public in Changsha, Hunan Province, reports the Hunan Morning Post.

The harshly worded banner is among a series of tough measures launched by local police to stamp out street crime, especially violent robberies committed by drive-by motorcyclists.

"The firing permit just gives police more confidence in busting thieves on motorbikes," commented a police officer.

The move also resonated with a large proportion of locals. Changsha resident Miss Huang said, "this will deal a heavy blow to those thieves and we citizens will be more secure."

Some frown upon the tone of the banner, thinking it may frighten visitors and tarnish the city's image.

Earlier this year deputy Party secretary of Guangzhou Zhang Guifang praised local police and encouraged other officers to take aim when criminal suspects resist arrest.

Three police officers were awarded 10,000 yuan (US$1,250) each after they shot dead a robbery suspect and caught two others. The three defied police warnings to stop and attempted to run away after they robbed a woman on a busy Guangzhou street.

(China Daily June 29, 2006)