What does the cryptic crossword clue "Folk catch a criminal only partially prepared (2,4,4)" mean?

The wordplay uses an anagram. anagram of FOLK + CATCH + A = ATHALFCOCK The answer is ATHALFCOCK.

Folk catch a criminal only partially prepared (2,4,4)

Daily Mail Cryptic #17024 | 23 Across | 2023-02-01 flower