Concealment is the act of hiding something for example illegal drugs, weapons or contraband goods in a way that prevents it from being seen/known by law enforcement.
Criminal elements such as armed robbers, gangsters, land guards, violent demonstrators/rioters, parties to conflicts especially non state actors, vigilante groups, illegal minors etc are amongst the most notable groups that are known for concealing weapons.
Operational and other duty men especially on patrol, barriers and snap check duties should acquaint themselves with some of the concealment tactics criminals used daily by criminals so that they can easily get them arrested anytime they try to outwit them with concealed weapons in their line of duty.
Although criminals are smart in whatever they do and are said to always be a step further above law enforcement, they usually exposed by their actions and inactions any time they come into contact with police officers on such duties.
Every smart officer understands that when a criminal is carrying something he tends to exhibit amongst other characteristics the following anytime they are stopped;
Often called policemen, policewomen, or constables, police officers swear an oath to protect and serve the citizens they represent.
All police officers are warranted by the government to enforce the law by arresting criminals and detecting and preventing crimes and all smart police officers are the ones who understand this and act upon it all the time without fear or favor.
Essentially, every smart police officer should know the following information about criminal which is that;
1. They quickly want to settle/pay/tip/grease the palm/greet/find something for the boys/say hello/shake hands etc so that they can be allowed to go fast.
2. Criminals tend to exhibit some kind of subtle discomfort when they are in the presence of or are stopped by law enforcement officers. They tend to play clever by behaving as if they are relaxed and nothing is wrong with them when in fact, their demeanor portrays extreme discomfort/uncertainty/pressure/fear/danger etc.
3. Apart from behaving strangely and at the same time trying to play smart, criminals also prepare for the worse and try to attract/struggle with/harm or even kill law enforcement officers at various check points so they can escape.
4. Ops men at the stated duty point should always have at the back of their minds that criminals who conceal weapons are very dangerous, corky, clever, tactical, smart and can strike at any time.
Police officers especially ops men must endeavor to learn and practice every day how to identify concealed weapons carried by criminals in the course of their duties.
Criminals carry or conceal weapons on their bodies, car boots, engine, doors, exhaust, bonnet, seats, tanks, and so on and so forth.
Heavy duty cars that ferry heavy loads usually conceal weapons at the very bottom of the the goods they carry.
Although in this particular video, the criminals concealed the weapon in the motorbike, there are several ways they carry out such acts.
Fuel tankers for example conceal weapons in sacks and keep them in the fuel to outwit law enforcement.
Those who transport lives stock conceal weapons in the cars they use to ferry the animals. Sometimes they intentionally kill one of the animals and conceal weapons in their bellies only to outwit law enforcement.
Ambulance drivers are usually used as a conduit by criminals to transport weapons from one point to another another.
Criminals often pretend as if they are going to funerals and use hearse/caravan/coffins conceal weapons.
Usually they hire criers or mourners to cry out loud when they come into contact with or are stopped by law enforcement officers/ops men at the various check points just so that they have the “sympathy” of the police to hurry to their destination.
It is important to place on record that most criminals especially armed robbers conceal their weapons at “dead letter boxes” close to their targets usually during the day before they pick them up in the night to strike.
This is because, the criminals have realized over time that snap checks become intensive during the night where Ops Men stop all manner of people and vehicles to search them for concealed weapons.
So to beat law enforcement officers, criminals decide to take advantage of the vacuum created during the day and carry their weapons close to destination for their robbery during the day when they seem to be free movement of vehicles and people.
Individuals can be on the look out for strangers who come by their homes during the day and loiter about so that they can report to the police swift action to be taken before they strike at night.
For law enforcement officers/Ops Men to succeed in dealing with criminals who conceal weapons at their various check points, they must always go to their duty points with clean eyes and not intoxicated.
They must be smart and exhibit extreme intelligence, care, caution, dutiful, tact, careful, pay attention to the minutest of detail and be on the lookout for clever/tricky criminals who will want to bribe them in order to pass without being checked.
Experience is very necessary and important just as training is key in shaping all Operational Men (Ops Men) to appreciate and to detect the nefarious activities of criminal groups.
Author: Mohammed Abdul Hanan EL-Saeed
Police Headquarters
Accra
0244087295
Panacin@gmail.com
