Police told to issue three tickets a day

The National Traffic police commander said a focus on performance, rather than benefit sharing from fines, drove police to issue more tickets for parking offences last year.

Maj-General Phanu Kerdlapphol yesterday said the number of parking tickets issued last year - 1.27 million - was too high. This equates to about one third of all traffic-related tickets in 2003.

"I have learnt that some police heads have instructed their subordinates to issue at least three tickets a day so that their performance record will look good," said Phanu.

He said some junior traffic officers turned to vehicles parked in unauthorised zones if they did not find enough traffic offenders each day.

He said officers generally placed the tickets under the windscreen wipers of illegally parked vehicles, which hardly taught the offenders a lesson.

"Most of the vehicle owners ignored these tickets. And we have to admit that local police stations have yet to register all ticket records in the computer system, allowing those illegally parking to go free," he said.

Phanu said that shares of traffic fines were given to police officers by lieutenant colonels only and the shares cannot exceed Bt10,000 per officer each month.

"So, I don't think traffic police will try to make many arrests for a share of fines," he said. Phanu said he believed traffic police officers were concerned about their performances.

Meanwhile, Lt-Colonel Weerayut Prasopchokchai, the deputy superintendent for Chiang Mai traffic police, said he would urgently tackle the problem of bribery among local officers.

"Some traffic offenders have bribed police officers with between Bt100 and Bt200 to avoid the fines," he said.

In Chiang Mai, 31,855 traffic offenders were arrested between January and April. Half of the offences involved failure to wear crash helmets. Traffic police in Chiang Mai can earn up to Bt10,000 every month from sharing in fines, Weerayut said.

--The Nation 2004-05-14

Is this what I think it is?

Traffic cops working on commission?

10,000 BAHT a month IS ALOT OF INCENTIVE !

and this is the "official" sharing,

not counting all the "tea" money thru the month.

What is the "official" monthly pay for a policeman ?

First year starting about 6,000bht.

ask mr T..

he proudly states he was a policeman... I am sure he knows how it all works

Police told to issue three tickets a day

Is this serious George? The police are issuing tickets? I thought this forum was only Thailand related?

Dutchy