Reform of police ‘must take inputs from public’

[rooster59]

Reform of police ‘must take inputs from public’

By THE SUNDAY NATION

 

 

A CIVIC GROUP has called for opinions of the public and junior police officers to be taken into consideration in the ongoing reform of the police force.

 

In a statement issued yesterday, the Network of People for Police Reform asked Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the head of the government-appointed police reform committee, retired General Boonsang Niampradit, to make sure that inputs from the public and junior officers were not ignored.

 

The group suggested that of the nine months it has to complete its task, the panel should focus the first four months on gathering information from research papers on police reform, and listening to opinions from public members, junior police officers and investigators who would be affected by the reform.

 

The next three months should be spent on drafting the law for police reform, and the last two months on public hearings for additional revisions to the draft law, the group said.

 

The new Constitution requires that a committee is set up to reform the police force and that its task must be completed within a year after the new charter is promulgated. 

 

The new charter has been in effect since April 6 and the Cabinet set up the new committee just last week.

 

The clause on police reform states that if the committee fails to complete its task within the given time, all appointments and transfers of police personnel must be based on seniority only.

 

Manit Suksomjit, a senior journalist who is one of the 36 members of the police reform panel, said yesterday that the committee would spend the first two months gathering opinions from public members and analysing the research papers on the matter. 

 

It would spend the next three months drafting a new law and amending the relevant regulations to allow police reform.

 

The last four months would be spent on public hearings before the new legislation would be promulgated, according to Manit.

 

He said the committee might also need assistance from the junta in issuing some orders under Article 44 of the interim charter to help speed up its work.

 

The panel is to convene its first meeting on Wednesday at the Armed Forces Supreme Command. 

 

It will meet twice weekly at different locations to be determined later, according to Manit.

 

Meanwhile, Seree Suwanpanont, a member of the National Reform Steering Assembly, said yesterday that the reform measures should focus on how to ensure “real professionalism” within the police force.

 

He said that judging from the apparent determination of the reform members, he was optimistic that the latest effort to reform the police would succeed.

 

Democrat Party politician Wirat Kalayasiri, who is a legal expert, said public members have long called for reform of the police force. He also voiced support for the attempt to get rid of the practice of putting coveted police positions up for sale.

 

Wirat said that if promotions and appointments of police personnel were based on seniority, the practice of favouritism would be greatly reduced.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30320261

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-09

[Samui Bodoh]

And the Public Relations campaign begins...

 

9 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Meanwhile, Seree Suwanpanont, a member of the National Reform Steering Assembly, said yesterday that the reform measures should focus on how to ensure “real professionalism” within the police force.

 

I wonder how many of these committees there have already been, and what happened to their work. Once again, there are ill-defined goals and vague talk of buzzwords designed to satisfy the masses without actually saying anything; a truly Thai way of seeming to do something without actually accomplishing anything.

 

12 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The clause on police reform states that if the committee fails to complete its task within the given time, all appointments and transfers of police personnel must be based on seniority only.

 

The above seems to be the pre-determined outcome decided a year before the committee's report (yes, shocking news!).

 

Seniority certainly can be an element in reform of an organization, but if the intention is to make it the prime factor in promotions, then it will lead to an ossified force managed by chair-warmers and bureaucrats who last the longest.

 

Is it not possible to do things by merit? 

 

(silly me)

[yellowboat]

40 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

He also voiced support for the attempt to get rid of the practice of putting coveted police positions up for sale.

That might be the first place to start.  That sort of sliminess alone takes away all confidence in the organization. 

[Dexlowe]

Some of the people named already have important and busy jobs, such as the various permanent secretaries of four ministries. Many of them also have been lumped with a variety of other tasks on numerous other official and ad hoc committees. How on earth are these people expected to devote the time and energy needed to the reform of the mess known as the Royal Thai Police? It's a mind-boggling job, as anyone can see, and will require years of dedicated and hard work. This committee is an exercise in futility, for sure.

[smedly]

reform of the police should be carried out by a 100% public body, once reformed they should then be overseen by a totally public body - they serve the public and that is who they should answer too

[jaywalker]

A great start to getting them out to actually do their jobs would be to put them in light, loose fitting khaki uniforms.

 

I'd stay inside all day too if I had to wear a skin tight, dark brown solar panel for a uniform in the tropics.

Edited July 8, 2017 by jaywalker

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The new charter has been in effect since April 6 and the Cabinet set up the new committee just last week.

a good early signal as to the overall progress to expect

[12DrinkMore]

They just need to trawl through ThaiVisa.

 

Enough opinions on here to get many balls rolling.

[Juan B Tong]

[connda]

Put police in police cruisers, and instead of using them to escort VIPs, use them to enforce moving traffic violations.

"You farang.  You no matter.  Only for people Thai."

[maybefitz]

Downscale the rank structure. As a guide a top man for each service, General. Lt. Gen for an area. Maj Gen for a changwat. Col for a big city, Lt Col for smaller cities. Major for a Tambon, This is a guide only, but would result in a clearout of dead wood, in the thousands. You can see the stupidity of all the ranking officers trying to position themselves at photo situations, "look how important I am."

[fish monger]

On 7/9/2017 at 6:45 AM, jaywalker said:

A great start to getting them out to actually do their jobs would be to put them in light, loose fitting khaki uniforms.

 

I'd stay inside all day too if I had to wear a skin tight, dark brown solar panel for a uniform in the tropics.

Nobody twisted their arms to become cops...They all knew what comes with the job...

[observer90210]

One of the points of the reform should call for having independant civilian bodies that will hold accountable the force.

 

Flagrant lack of civilian and public accountability is an open door for abuse of power at all levels of policing.

 

 

[bendejo]

On 7/8/2017 at 2:58 PM, rooster59 said:

Reform of police ‘must take inputs from public’

 

How much money we talking about?