The Police Service of Northern Ireland has been criticized after taking over an hour to arrive at a bomb alert.
A hijacked taxi, containing a suspect device, was abandoned in Newry, County Down, on Saturday night last.
Residents had to use their own vehicles to block the road off before police arrived.
The PSNI said they did not attend immediately for safety reasons.
Dominic Bradley, SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh, claims that some people did drive past the device despite the best efforts of residents.
The bomb was later declared a hoax.
"People in the area felt frustrated," said Mr. Bradley.
"They informed the police and they felt the police could have been there much quicker than they were. I understand that the police have to take precautions for their officers, but I am also concerned for the safety of the general public.
"Thankfully it was a hoax, but had it been a viable device, members of the public were driving past it and the area was not sealed for an hour and 20 minutes."
PSNI Area Commander, Chief Inspector Anthony McNally, said: "We, in Newry, are committed to investigating this security alert but we have an over-riding responsibility to protect and preserve life, and that includes the lives of the community and the lives of our own officers.
"For this reason, some situations may have to be dealt with cautiously due to the significant threat from a small number of people who have shown their determination to kill police officers."
McNally thanked the residents of Martins Lane who "showed such community spirit in dealing with this incident."
This was the second alert in the Newry area in two days. On Friday, a bomb was found near the Cloughogue roundabout on the Newry to Dublin road.
