Crime Rate In Bangkok Down 20% As Promised: PM Abhisit

[chooka]

20% reduction in 10 weeks. With this achievement they can wipe out crime all together in 12 months. I am sure there are a lot of western police forces around the world who could benifit from the elite Thai Police. Thier crime prevention strategies and investigation skills seem to be equal to none. Thai police should be instructing in police academies around the world. I do not believe this story. Are they refering to crime across the board or a particular crime. If it was one set of offences then it would be believable.

Melbourne, Australia was having a huge problem with street offences (Drunkeness, property damage and assaults) in the night club area generally on Thur, Fri and Sat nights. We started running operations on these nights saturating the streets with roving police. (Zero Tollerance) The level of drunkeness did not change but assaults and damage offences declined dramitically. Those full of piss and bad manners were locked up before they could cause any serious trouble. Street offences in this particular area declined by 70% but this did not impact in the overall crime stats as it was only targeting certain offences in a certain area of the city.

I was just wondering if this is what they did in Bangkok but then use the stats in a misleading way..

....

You might be right....... Oh don't forget they have joined forces with the chicks from 7 Eleven to fight crime. Maybe the 7 Eleven staff are doing a better job than the BIB ever did.

"The Royal Thai Police have joined hands with 7-Eleven to roll out a program in which tourists can report emergency incidents to Police via participating 7-Eleven branches in popular tourist areas."

[biplanebluey]

I initially read this as the crime rate being down TO 20%----but no,its down BY 20%----so what was the crime rate before and what is it now!!!!!!!!

[chooka]

I initially read this as the crime rate being down TO 20%----but no,its down BY 20%----so what was the crime rate before and what is it now!!!!!!!!

That information is a closely gaurded secret.....

[ginjag]

I initially read this as the crime rate being down TO 20%----but no,its down BY 20%----so what was the crime rate before and what is it now!!!!!!!!

ZERO--as each 20% cancels the other one out. :lol:

[asiawatcher]

If the 'boss' is lauding police - then it is a confidence vote buying agenda - the statistics are a complete fabrication.

[coma]

Or are the Bangkok BIB doing 20% less work ?

[SantiSuk]

I'll bet he tells his wife his plonker will be 8 inches in a few minutes ... and lo and behold .

[Gers1873]

As Mr. Disraeli quipped "there are lies, dammed lies and statistics".

Anything can be done with numbers. 5% of all road accidents are caused by drunks meaning 95% are caused by sober drivers. So reduce the accidents by getting the sober drivers off the road and leave us drunks alone.

Seriously IF the crime rate is down - thats a good thing.

[Steele404]

20% less crimes were reported after 20% of the police officers went out to do the survey

[Pib]

Or are the Bangkok BIB doing 20% less work ?

The Bangkok traffic BIB were doing close to 100% less work a few days ago when the cold spell and light rain hit for a few days...it was hard to see a traffic BIB. But starting yesterday, I see them everywhere again in Bangkok...they need to make up for a couple days of loss business, especially that hand-to-hand driver side window business where the issue of the ticket is forgotten about.

[londonthai]

because there was recently no more police activity, than previously, and because there is an economic crisis and more crime related to property, than this statistic is false.just the usual political propaganda before the general elections

Please share with us your crime statistics, particularly the property-related crime you mention.

because there was recently no more police activity ...

Your statistics come from ....? I can't guess about local crime statistics NOR any increase in police presence. Then again there were LOTS of arrests over the preceding months so .... ??

my crime statistics comes from observation - talking to the relatives, neighbours, friends about what's happening around.

a few weeks ago some criminal was cuffed in our gardens, after barking dogs gave him up to the police in chase of him. In the living memory of the oldest grandmother it never happened in the neighbourhood before.

for some 3.5 years, when the crisis started, people from my neighbourhood are afraid of walking after dark. Daytime there are cops in the street, checking cars and bikes, night time the street is poorly lighted and domain of the hooligans and criminals.

when asked, the local authority put one extra lamp post and people had to install their own lighting and pay for the electricity. Still it's not secure to walk after dark. I am braving by taking a long stick in self defence when walking dogs.

maybe the best, if you read the rest of the replies, what posters think of PM lies

[blackthorn2005]

Easy to reduce the crime rate if you just ignore crime.

Amazing anyone believes this BS

This is how they reduced the crime statistics in the UK, the police just turned most people away from the police stations!

[surangw]

Down 20% since the New Year. Wow that is impressive. Unless of course we are talking Thai New Year that is. I bet they all got a medal to pin on their uniforms, to add to that already dazzling array, they already have

jb1

Within the last few months I had to file two police reports because of two crimes committed on my person - one on theft (thief''s identity known to police) and assault (assailant known to police). Both cases weren't followed up by the police - the police reports were just 'locked in a drawer', and my assailant had to pay the princely sum of 200 baht for assaulting me with two baseball-like bats. That way, I have no doubt, Thailand can "reduce" the crime rate by just not following up on reported crimes.

if you want the police to do something, you have to make it worth their while ( or be someone they fear)

[jdinasia]

my crime statistics comes from observation - talking to the relatives, neighbours, friends about what's happening around.

a few weeks ago some criminal was cuffed in our gardens, after barking dogs gave him up to the police in chase of him. In the living memory of the oldest grandmother it never happened in the neighbourhood before.

for some 3.5 years, when the crisis started, people from my neighbourhood are afraid of walking after dark. Daytime there are cops in the street, checking cars and bikes, night time the street is poorly lighted and domain of the hooligans and criminals.

when asked, the local authority put one extra lamp post and people had to install their own lighting and pay for the electricity. Still it's not secure to walk after dark. I am braving by taking a long stick in self defence when walking dogs.

maybe the best, if you read the rest of the replies, what posters think of PM lies

So, basically you have no statistics at all. Anecdotal evidence etc but nothing to back it up with other than the police actually doing their job in catching someone (who's only crime seems to be possibly trespassing?)

Which section of BKK are you in?

[Nisa]

Down 20% since the New Year. Wow that is impressive. Unless of course we are talking Thai New Year that is. I bet they all got a medal to pin on their uniforms, to add to that already dazzling array, they already have

jb1

Within the last few months I had to file two police reports because of two crimes committed on my person - one on theft (thief''s identity known to police) and assault (assailant known to police). Both cases weren't followed up by the police - the police reports were just 'locked in a drawer', and my assailant had to pay the princely sum of 200 baht for assaulting me with two baseball-like bats. That way, I have no doubt, Thailand can "reduce" the crime rate by just not following up on reported crimes.

if you want the police to do something, you have to make it worth their while ( or be someone they fear)

Part of life in many developing and 3rd world nations. Not like most Thais or foreigners are paying too much taxes for a first rate police departments. Some may find it more convenient to only have to pay for police when you need them.

[Nisa]

I initially read this as the crime rate being down TO 20%----but no,its down BY 20%----so what was the crime rate before and what is it now!!!!!!!!

100%

If they are taking the numbers from last year and comparing it to the number of reported crimes during this same period this year. Since they are not giving the actual numbers of crimes committed last year vs. this then we only have the three numbers to go on ... 100% (last year), 20% (reduced) and reported crimes 80% of what they were last year during this period.

We all know even honest stats can be deceiving unless all the relevant information is given. And I would question this story as to having any factual basis if right at the start of the year they didn't arrest somewhere around 2,000 (est. there were a number of raids with just one with 1,000 arrests) suspected drug users and dealers in and around BKK. Certainly that had to have a serious impact on the number of crimes committed over the next months.

[londonthai]

So, basically you have no statistics at all. Anecdotal evidence etc but nothing to back it up with other than the police actually doing their job in catching someone (who's only crime seems to be possibly trespassing?)

Which section of BKK are you in?

no, I don't work for the municipal office, police (my brother's in law do - they are the source of my info as well) or pm office.

the criminal run from the police and tried to hide in our gardens, he was arrested not for trespassing, but on some other, more serious charges.

I live on thonburi, talling chan area - very peaceful, traditional settings, like in the village, but recently increasingly violent. 3 months ago one guy was shot in the heart and his friend seriously injured, when around midnight they were seating at the local street eatery. No apparent motives - most probably done for fun or possibly turf war between gangs.

Edited March 22, 2011 by londonthai

[jdinasia]

So, basically you have no statistics at all. Anecdotal evidence etc but nothing to back it up with other than the police actually doing their job in catching someone (who's only crime seems to be possibly trespassing?)

Which section of BKK are you in?

no, I don't work for the municipal office, police (my brother's in law do - they are the source of my info as well) or pm office.

the criminal run from the police and tried to hide in our gardens, he was arrested not for trespassing, but on some other, more serious charges.

I live on thonburi, talling chan area - very peaceful, traditional settings, like in the village, but recently increasingly violent. 3 months ago one guy was shot in the heart and his friend seriously injured, when around midnight they were seating at the local street eatery. No apparent motives - most probably done for fun or possibly turf war between gangs.

So your anecdotal evidence is about one small area on the Thonburi side if the river (still BKK?) which doesn't tell us much of anything. While I always doubt statistics given (particularly around elections!) it is easily possible that crime is indeed down (due to many factors -- including increased enforcement --- reduced reporting --- selective enforcement which drives criminals out of one area further out into previously low-crime areas etc.) Then there is the speculation "for fun or possibly turf wars between gangs"? Which could easily be anything that you mentioned or any of 1000 other reasons such as lovers spurned etc.

Sorry, but the statistics for a small area, while meaningful to the residents of that small area are not particularly relevant to a mega-city like BKK.

[Emster23]

Reports down, local handling extra-judicial (beer and cig money) up. Makes me think of book Freakanomics that argues crime went down in USA when abortion became legal, after a 15-20 year lag time. Perhaps should try that here, but then again, that involves thinking beyond the end of the month. Never mind....