New, modern handguns being handed out free to police

[webfact]

New, modern handguns being handed out free to police

By The Nation

 

Photo: thaicop.blogspot.com

 

A total of 55,150 new handguns are being distributed to officers in police stations nationwide to help compensate for a shortage of arms and deter violent crime.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan on Thursday chaired a ceremony at the Royal Thai Police Sport Club at which newly purchased Sig Sauer P320 SP semi-automatic handguns were handed over to 22 police agencies to be distributed to every police stations for communal use by the police officers.

 

 

Prawit said the government acknowledged that crime was not only rising in Thailand, but also coming in diverse forms and with a more severe intensity. That makes it increasingly important to equip the police to fight criminals, he said.

 

The Royal Thai Police has long faced a shortage of guns, while many of those owned by police officers are old and out-moded, which increased the risk of officers being harmed or killed in action, the deputy PM acknowledged. This led the government to approve the police commissioner-general’s proposed plan to buy new guns.

 

All police stations in the country will be given 60 new guns to be shared among all officers.

 

“With these 55,150 new guns, I believe that the police performance in fighting crime and protecting people’s lives and belongings will be improved,” Prawit told the audience.

 

Speaking on behalf of police officers at the ceremony, Pol Senior Sgt-Major Tawee Nonkong said this was the first time that the government had presented guns to the police. The most common problem he had seen during his 10 years in the service was the lack of arms and ammunition, he said.

 

“We are very glad that we will have new guns to use in our mission to serve the people and protect society from crime,” Tawee said.

 

Last Saturday, the first lot of Sig Sauer P320 SP semi-automatic handguns were handed out to 2,500 police officers from around the country under a separate project, “welfare gun”, to provide more arms to the police.

 

Under the “welfare gun” project, the Royal Thai Police have ordered a total of 15,000 Sig Sauer P320 SP guns to sell to officers at Bt23,890, far below the market price, in order to ensure officers could own a quality weapon.

 

Guns from the welfare gun project cannot be resold and can only change hands through being passed along after the original owner has died.

 

Thai police officers have not previously been provided a gun free of charge. They were required to purchase a gun, which they often paid off through deductions from their salary.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30335037

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-29

[CanuckThai]

Great.  Now the oh so highly trustworthy BiB  (oozing integrity) are all packing semi-auto handguns. 

A whole new level and meaning of highway robbery is about to kick off.  I guess if the military are getting new toys, the BiB are justifying a few new ones too.............:(

[evadgib]

Lacking are the words 'Issue, Audit' or anything relating to safe disposal/buyback of any currently in use...

Edited December 29, 2017 by evadgib

[darksidedog]

32 minutes ago, webfact said:

Police have ordered a total of 15,000 Sig Sauer P320 SP guns to sell to officers at Bt23,890, far below the market price, in order to ensure officers could own a quality weapon.

I am a little confused by this story. Part of it says the guns are being given out, and saying police have previously had to buy guns, but this says they will be sold at 23,890 baht each, so are the officers required to pay for these? The cynic in me suspects someone is going to be making a profit on this.

[tracker1]

Funny 3 years ago we deposited close to 30,000 baht for the purchase of one of these firearms after waiting for that long we decided better the money in our pocket then someone else's pocket and asked for the money back never was there any mention of free handouts !

[Oziex1]

"A total of 55,150 new handguns are being distributed to officers in police stations nationwide to help compensate for a shortage of arms and deter violent crime."

 

If their guns are to deter violence it doesn't seem to be working to well. Will more guns in the hands of the BIB reduce crime?

 

All I can think of is the recent story of the copper who dropped his when he went to the toilet and shot two people. Expect more stories like this.

 

 

[jerojero]

Yes yes. New guns will definitely improve the performance of said police officers. Excellent deductive reasoning.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Tilacme]

I feel safer already.

[worgeordie]

Ordered too many,cannot sell them ,so give them away,

don't think the boys that have already paid for theirs will

be very happy.

regards worgeordie

[SABloke]

Two cops were standing in front of khao san rd police station playing with one today...barrel pointed at the passers by.

[observer90210]

Giving the Police a free modern sidearm to do their job is good start....but to give them regular updated training in firearm proficency is another issue......better no firearm, then a firearm in the hands of untrained, unexperienced officers....

Edited December 29, 2017 by observer90210

[Emster23]

"All police stations in the country will be given 60 new guns to be shared among all officers."

And just how will the "sharing" take place? Mind runs all sorts of scenarios for this portion of the show

[jaywalker]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan on Thursday chaired a ceremony at the Royal Thai Police Sport Club at which newly purchased Sig Sauer P320 SP semi-automatic handguns were handed over to 22 police agencies to be distributed to every police stations for communal use by the police officers.

"New, modern handguns being handed out free to police"

 

"Under the “welfare gun” project, the Royal Thai Police have ordered a total of 15,000 Sig Sauer P320 SP guns to sell to officers at Bt23,890, far below the market price, in order to ensure officers could own a quality weapon."

-------------------

 

Nothing at all makes sense here.

 

Some are for communal use, some are free, some have to be bought.

 

If they were trying to baffle folks w/ BS, well, it worked on me. I'm thoroughly baffled.

Edited December 30, 2017 by jaywalker

[lucjoker]

here is the gun , it is not a toy ....be careful ,only for trained hands.

 https://pantip.com/topic/36751988

[klauskunkel]

I'm just waiting for one of the '22 distributing agencies" saying they somehow, mysteriously lost their shipment and they are totally befuddled over how it happened and they plead on Face Book for the guns' return.

[scorecard]

18 hours ago, evadgib said:

Lacking are the words 'Issue, Audit' or anything relating to safe disposal/buyback of any currently in use...

 

Buyback is an interesting word for this scenario.

 

Just wondering how many xxxx will sell their old handguns to agents who sell them to teenagers.

 

Anybody recall the case perhaps 2 years ago of the dismissed cop caught having sold some 150 handguns to Pattaya teenagers.

[anon789561]

17 hours ago, SABloke said:

Two cops were standing in front of khao san rd police station playing with one today...barrel pointed at the passers by.

they should have pulled the trigger, no loss there 555

[david555]

So now the self paid guns can be sold ........so  many for sale private i may think.....

[12DrinkMore]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

The most common problem he had seen during his 10 years in the service was the lack of arms and ammunition, he said.

 

Clouseau clearly can't see the jungle for the banana trees.

 

 

[DLock]

2 hours ago, lucjoker said:

here is the gun , it is not a toy ....be careful ,only for trained hands.

 https://pantip.com/topic/36751988

 

Great pistol...but thats a really interesting link. Thanks.

[CGW]

Great start, get the guns first - now just have to find competent & honest cops to issue them too!

Going to be bloody difficult as I see it!

[Ossy]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

New, modern handguns being handed out free to police

So what about the poor thousands of officers, pictured in a The Nation article, 2 or 3 weeks ago, who had to pay for the bloody things? Will they get their money back, without having to queue for it? I doubt it, somehow.

It could only be PRAWIT that had a hand in this, yet another, COUP COCKUP. And, bugger me, he thought this cockup was so newsworthy he actually chaired a ceremony to announce it . . . what a feller . . . and I thought he was on tick leave, anyway.

These Junta clowns somehow manage to keep getting more and more inept. One way or another, we're in for many laughs, amongst the thrills and spills, next year.

[chilli42]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

 

“With these 55,150 new guns, I believe that the police performance in fighting crime and protecting people’s lives and belongings will be improved,” Prawit told the audience.

 

The new guns make sense ... wonder who pocketed the tea money on this order?  Does anyone else share the delusion that the The brand of gun carried has anything to do with crime fighting effectiveness?

[graemeaylward]

Why oh why do police need guns! Although there are specialist armed officers in UK, the majority of police officers, in Britain do not carry guns, only batons, pepper spray etc, and some deploy takers, but only after extensive training. I do not consider that their job is any less dangerous than their counterparts here, and in many ways is more risky as they actually leave the police station to tackle crime. A well trained police officer relies on his communication skills to disarm criminals and should not need a lethal weapon!


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[Langsuan Man]

On 12/29/2017 at 2:29 PM, webfact said:

the Royal Thai Police have ordered a total of 15,000 Sig Sauer P320 SP guns to sell to officers at Bt23,890, far below the market price,

I guess that it depends upon which market price one want's to use !

 

[YetAnother]

On 12/29/2017 at 2:29 PM, webfact said:

order to ensure officers could own a quality weapon.

with the already high level of arrogance in the the thai police, i can see scenarios where they cut down their holsters, bikini fashion, to show how tough they are

[YetAnother]

On 12/29/2017 at 2:29 PM, webfact said:

With these 55,150 new guns

in a place that already has too many guns, adding 55,000 and later saying how they are going to control them; uh huh

[DrTuner]

Somchai should get a good discount on the old ones then.

[bangrak]

Sorry, I'm a bit 'lost' about this one... When I'm correct,

1) it are about 150,000 of these Sigs which have been ordered, delivered and paid  (without serious tests and evaluation, at a price way above the u.p. for the public in the US, and on top of it no official procurement procedure);

2) the RTP officers were supposed to purchase all of these, personally, on own expense (there was even a system put in place to give them a favourable loan, interest and payback, to do so).

And now, Mr Prawit uses his magic wand (diamond studded and made by Richard Mille too...?), to distribute 55,000 of those Sigs 'free' to the force, with an allowance per police station, but to be in 'shared use'!? Come on, what's the joke, may I ask?

No doubt at all some guys (Generals and so) have made massive money with this global deal, but what is happening here now?

1) what about the thousands of RTP officers who had been ordering one of the Sigs, and, possibly/probably, got these (after cueing for hours it seems...)? Will they be able to give their gun back, and have their money refunded...?

2) what about the 50 to 80,000 thousand(!) Sigs which have not been bought by officers it seems, nor 'generously' distributed by 'older brother' Prawit?

3) what about the taxpayers money 'invested' in those Sigs, as this was supposed to be a (nearly...) 'self-financing' operation: finance the purchase of guns to be bought and paid by police officers, this having been used as the way to 'explain' why the normal State purchase procedures were not followed: no expenditures, you see...

4) and then 'details', like: who's going to decide which officers are allowed to carry one of the 'free' guns, when and how; who will be responsible for keeping the guns at the stations (safely, and not 'disappearing', 'getting mislaid', or 'lost'...); who's going to maintain the guns; where will the (hopefully standard) ammo come from (considering each police officer is, still, responsible for the purchase and keeping of his own ammunition).

To me, this smells, really, bad. I don't know which direction it will take (probably being shoved under the, huge, carpet, a.s.a.p.), the whole, concealed(!), initial deal had to be, massively, corrupt, it is clear today's story shows 'a something' has gone, very, wrong, but what, will we ever be told...? The only things which are at this point crystal clear to me, is that the taxpayers will have to (not even being asked N.B.) foot the bill in the end, as usually, and that some of 'the usual suspects' will have become more wealthy again. More extravagantly expensive watches to be seen at wrong people's wrist...?  

Edited December 31, 2017 by bangrak

[Just Weird]

On ‎12‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 3:31 PM, worgeordie said:

Ordered too many,cannot sell them ,so give them away,

don't think the boys that have already paid for theirs will

be very happy.

regards worgeordie

Different project, these are for communal use, the previous distribution was to those officers who wanted to buy them.