Meet focuses on Thai police decentralisation

[webfact]

Meet focuses on police decentralisation
Budsarakham Sinlapalavan
The Nation

Ex-deputy police chief says power should be vested with provincial governors

BANGKOK: -- The focus of the latest People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) national forum at Lumpini Park in Bangkok was whether to decentralise power in the police force to give local stations more control.

Pol General Kraisook Sinsook, the former deputy police chief, said power in the force should be decentralised.

Kraisook said centralising power in the Royal Thai Police through government systems meant the force operated too slowly, so power should be decentralised under provincial governors.

"If you compare the police structure with the human life cycle, this system is in old age and sick. So we should reform its structure," he said.

Kraisook said the main duty of police was to keep the peace, protect the public, suppress crime and protect His Majesty the King and the royal dynasty.

He said work beyond these duties should be transferred to other agencies, while the public should be more involved in helping the police fight crime.

Kraisook said political interference in police reshuffling is a major problem.

Komsarn Pokong, a Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University law lecturer, said police should build a strong relationship with locals, so they should not be transferred to other stations.

He said if they violated a rule, fire them but don't transfer them.

Komsarn also believes power in the force should be decentralised.

PDRC co-leader Thaworn Senneam mentioned how some police chiefs in other countries were elected by the public and had to present a policing plan before the election.

He believes there are more good police than bad ones and also wants to see power decentralised.

Judicial reform 'necessary'

Pinyo Thongchai, former secretary of the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, expressed confidence that judicial reform would bring about change, saying the major problem with the justice system was the mindset that convicts must be jailed.

He said a study found that the country had more than 350 criminal laws and most could result in imprisonment when a fine might be more appropriate.

Imprisonment, however, increased the burden on the state while the country would not be footing any bill for having convicts fined.

Pinyo said the other objectives of judicial reform were to bring about equality and end conflicts with reconciliation.

The justice system should be tuned towards prevention rather than suppression, with people forced to carry out community service or pay fines.

Pinyo said jailing should be used only for repeat offences.

Increasing the efficiency of law enforcement and providing a mechanism to help people in need of legal assistance should also be part of the reform, he said.


-- The Nation 2014-03-18

[thesetat2013]

Before they start talking about decentralising the police they should be talking about firing the corrupt police and training them to be a real policing agency. Not just a collector of monies to better their families and mistresses lives. Until the police forces actually become a real police force decentralinsing them will only make matters worse.

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[PepperMe]

Before they start talking about decentralising the police they should be talking about firing the corrupt police and training them to be a real policing agency. Not just a collector of monies to better their families and mistresses lives. Until the police forces actually become a real police force decentralinsing them will only make matters worse.

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+1

But agree that police should decentralized and removed from the grip of the government.

It works very well in the UK which is said by many the world over as the best police force in the world.

Would also be a smart move to set up a Thai version of the PCC in the UK (police complaints commission) to come down with heavy force on corrupt police, and those that abuse their positions and deal with them severely. That will clean then up once and for all. It gives the public somewhere to complain to about.

But decentralization is good for everyone.

The police will like this. The PDRC have scored some points with the police on this one.

Keep it up.... These forums seem to be getting some results, and we may see the first real roadmap to reforms come out of this.

[FangFerang]

I think the police would like this right up until the judicial reforms part. A great deal of money is collected to bribe one's way out of prison. Removing that income stream would greatly reduce corruption and cause a real loss for the BIB.

Decentralization would also have a drastic affect on the illegal casinos run downtown by people whose names begin with a letter from A to Z, as reported in the Thai media (although rarely). And they are called untouchables for a reason.

Further, decentralization would end up encouraging human trafficking and drug smuggling -- if all the locals know the cops are in place for a long time in the Golden Triangle, they can set up permanent relationships and a 'good fellas' network the likes of which even Thailand has never seen.

Like the Chinese say -- "everyone simultaneously wants to get rid of corruption and benefit from it".

[HonestQuietBob]

These meets must bore the bejesus out of Suthep.

All he wants is a rigged electoral system.

Why must he suffer through meet after meet of crap that he just doesn't care about.

He has my sympathy.

[Issangeorge]

As I have said many times the reform Suthep wants seem to be close to what the Redshirts want, although it is hard to tell, because other than saying they want to preserve democracy (which is a load of crap) they don't really say what they want. I wish the Redshirts would ditch Thaksin and talk to the PDRC, I think they have a lot in common and real reform could occur.

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[ginjag]

These meets must bore the bejesus out of Suthep.

All he wants is a rigged electoral system.

Why must he suffer through meet after meet of crap that he just doesn't care about.

He has my sympathy.

usual type answer, You want him hung ??? then what's your attention focused on Abhisit--then WHO.??? maybe you will start to think about where Thailands money has gone ?? this is why this has been suggested in the first place.

[ChrisY1]

I agree.....decentralise the whole force to Myanmar.......are there any honest cops left in the force...??

The current political situation shows with clarity just how effective the RTP is....basically they do very little!

[ChrisY1]

As I have said many times the reform Suthep wants seem to be close to what the Redshirts want, although it is hard to tell, because other than saying they want to preserve democracy (which is a load of crap) they don't really say what they want. I wish the Redshirts would ditch Thaksin and talk to the PDRC, I think they have a lot in common and real reform could occur.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ X using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If there were some good people among the Reds...and some good people among the PDRC.....yes...then if they combined with similar goals..ie: unifying Thailand, slowing rampant corruption, slowing the crime rate.....basically just have some vision.....there would be a chance of a reasonable outcome......but sadly, getting bitter enemies together and actually nutting out problems, would be an impossible task here.......

[WhizBang]

These meets must bore the bejesus out of Suthep.

All he wants is a rigged electoral system.

Why must he suffer through meet after meet of crap that he just doesn't care about.

He has my sympathy.

It seems like the biggest fear the red brigade and their sycophant symphatizers have is that real reforms actually get implemented.

[Bakseeda]

These meets must bore the bejesus out of Suthep.

All he wants is a rigged electoral system.

Why must he suffer through meet after meet of crap that he just doesn't care about.

He has my sympathy.

He has my vote as Hero of the century in Thailand.. Don't listen to your wife.. This country certainly needs reform.. Suthep Will bring it about..This country needs to rid itself from the most corrupt governmen that has ever been in Thailand. Sutheps endeavours are right now bringing this about.. AND, just in case you did not know.. Thailand at present HAS a rigged electoral system, which is why decent peoples with brains are protesting against the Shinewatras.. Sometimes I just cannot believe the stupidity of many "Farangs" living in Thailand.. It is so embarrassing... In a very recent survey of over 2000 civil servants, 96% said they have no faith in their respective government ministers... Does that not tell us all something.. Get a life Bob.. you remind me of my goldfish, bob, bob,bob.... same brain too.....it seems..

[Utley]

Before they start talking about decentralizing the police they should be talking about firing the corrupt police and training them to be a real policing agency. Not just a collector of monies to better their families and mistresses lives. Until the police forces actually become a real police force decentralizing them will only make matters worse.

"To Serve and Protect" - until that sworn oath is branded into the mind of every Thai police officer, reorganizing the force will accomplish about as much as rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Before they start talking about decentralising the police they should be talking about firing the corrupt police and training them to be a real policing agency. Not just a collector of monies to better their families and mistresses lives. Until the police forces actually become a real police force decentralinsing them will only make matters worse.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

+1

But agree that police should decentralized and removed from the grip of the government.

It works very well in the UK which is said by many the world over as the best police force in the world.

Would also be a smart move to set up a Thai version of the PCC in the UK (police complaints commission) to come down with heavy force on corrupt police, and those that abuse their positions and deal with them severely. That will clean then up once and for all. It gives the public somewhere to complain to about.

But decentralization is good for everyone.

The police will like this. The PDRC have scored some points with the police on this one.

Keep it up.... These forums seem to be getting some results, and we may see the first real roadmap to reforms come out of this.

I like virtually everything that is being suggested here. My one concern however, is that 'only repeat offences should be punished by jail'!!

I assume that this is for minor offences only and not serious ones. I mean, repeat murder and repeat rapes shouldn't figure.

Something I really object to is this transferring of officers to alternative police stations after being caught committing offences. Shouldn't they be seeing courts like everyone else??? The Thai equivalent for MP's is being posted to an inactive department. No!!! let them face the full extent of the law and do not put them out to pasture until they retire with lucrative pensions.

They should not be given parliamentary immunity - that has to go for a start. Christ!!! this is sending me into one now so I'd better stop before I get myself into trouble.

[khunken]

These meets must bore the bejesus out of Suthep.

All he wants is a rigged electoral system.

Why must he suffer through meet after meet of crap that he just doesn't care about.

He has my sympathy.

A good example of a poster not knowing what they are writing about.

Suthep is the organiser of these forums and he has stated that decentralisation should be on any reform agenda. He has also stated that the police chief should be elected along with provincial governors. That, of course, gets ignored among the 'fascist', 'elite' and 'no democracy' rants targeted on Suthep personally.

I agree with what Sichon Steve says - above. Overall reform of the police should include paying them a decent wage and sacking any found guilty of offences by an independent body empowered to investigate corruption and extortion within the service. Paying for promotions and police exam cheating should be on the targeted list.

It'll take quite a while to implement reforms but priority one is to put a stop to Thaksin's control of the police and appointing his servants/relatives to top positions.

[Ulic]

Sounds like they just want to create little fiefdoms of corruption.

[Thai at Heart]

They should have an equivalent to the Police Complaints Authority, which could be part of the NACC.

Until they make these weasels squeak under fear of losing jobs and benefits, NOTHING is going to change.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Sounds like they just want to create little fiefdoms of corruption.

.......and the police have become quite expert at doing this.

If something moves they try to extract money from it!!!