The Navrongo Divisional Police Commander, ACP Daniel Anane Amoah, has cautioned residents to pay closer attention to unusual behaviours and lifestyles in their communities, warning that some suspected criminals deliberately present themselves as generous and respectable individuals to conceal their activities.
According to ACP Amoah, suspected armed robbers can sometimes be difficult to identify because they cultivate relationships with household members and neighbours by displaying acts of kindness and generosity.
He explained that some of them regularly return home with food items and money, creating the impression that they are engaged in legitimate and profitable businesses.
He said another behaviour residents should watch out for was unexplained wealth, particularly where an individual claims to be a businessman but has no visible business activity.
“If an armed robber is in your house, what they do is that anytime they go and come, they give, if it is toffees, bread, to the extent of giving money to the household. And you ask them, they say, I’m a businessman. You never see them selling nor buying. But all the time they have money. And you ask what type of business do you do? He will tell you that I’m a businessman. Just that simple”, he stated.
The Commander further explained that suspected armed robbers may adopt a nocturnal lifestyle, remaining indoors during the day and leaving their homes at night before returning in the early hours of the morning.
“Mostly, during the day, you see them sleeping. They’ll be sleeping. They don’t go out. They’ll only go out maybe around night so that they are going to do their things. Sometimes they’ll come, and they’ll be packing their things into their rooms. So this one, let us open our eyes.”
He said these behavioural patterns often make investigations challenging because family members and neighbours may defend suspects based on the positive image they have deliberately created within their communities.
“That’s why sometimes if you are going to look for an armed robber, the household will say, no, this man is not like that. He’s a very kind-hearted person. He’s never like that. You understand? So that’s why sometimes if you are tracing, they will find it difficult to get them.”
ACP Amoah therefore urged residents not to overlook suspicious behaviour simply because an individual appears generous or friendly. He encouraged residents who notice unexplained sources of income or suspicious lifestyles to report their concerns to the police for assessment and investigation.
“Please, if a person is in your house or is in your community, and you don’t see anything that the person is doing. But the person will keep on saying he’s a businessman. Please, give the information to the police”, he admonished.
He was speaking during the handing over of the renovated Navrongo Divisional Police Headquarters by Kacstone Records. The Police Commander, however, cautioned residents against confronting or engaging suspected criminals in disputes before reporting them to the police. He explained that confronting a suspect could expose the identity of an informant and potentially put the person at risk.
ACP Amoah also urged residents with sensitive information to report directly to police commanders or senior officers, assuring them that the confidentiality of informants would be protected. He stressed that effective policing depended on strong cooperation between the police and communities, particularly through the timely sharing of credible information.
A1Radio|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Navrongo
