‘Disclose identities of hoodlums in your communities’

A community leader, who is also a member of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Oyo State, Elder Oladipo Davis, has charged community members to always disclose the identities of criminals in their areas.

Elder Davis gave the charge at a one-day seminar organized for landlords and tenants in Ibadan, recently on how to curb the activities of hoodlums.

He disclosed that people, particularly landlords, were no more cooperating with security agencies on security issues.

Davis, who is the Patron of PCRC and Community Policing Ambassador, Oyo State, added that in the past, there used to be a form called Crime Prevention Questionnaire given to tenants to fill by the police in the area. They do this before being accomodated by their landlords.

According to him, “this form shows the particulars of tenants with their photographs. This is unlike what obtains today whereby, hoodlums become tenants without completing the form once they can afford the exorbitant house rent.

“Robbers and kidnappers are staying in our communities. It is unfortunate that landlords provide shield for them. We decided to set up the Community Policing Committee so that we would not become victims in our communities.

“I’m appealing to the people to cooperate with the police, while those who have information about hoodlums, especially kidnappers, should report them to the divisional police officers. I know some people are afraid that the police can disclose their identities after giving information about hoodlums. This is not so.”

Davis further said that people can give information about criminals without showing their faces at the police station, by using the phone.