Police reforms must give weight to how officers can work better to serve the public and the process should start at police stations, a seminar has been told.
Speaking at a seminar on police reforms held by the Thai Journalists Association yesterday, Vichien Tansirikongkhon, a political science and law lecturer of Burapha University, said police must improve themselves by forging closer bonds with the public.
The gap between police and people, however, appears to have grown wider since the police became institutionalised, Pol Capt Vichien said.
Although the Royal Thai Police (RTP) are moving to decentralise some functions, the results are unsatisfactory, he said.
According to the lecturer, calls for police reforms are motivated by four mainstream issues, covering human rights, globalisation, good governance and the decentralisation of power.
The government has moved slowly on police reform, Pol Capt Vichien said. He said police can work for the benefit of the public from the station level, while the administration structure of stations must be examined.
People must be able to rely on investigators, but officers at more senior ranks are inclined to meddle in investigators' work, he said. The more investigators can work independently, the better justice will be served, he added.
Pol Col Wirut Sirisawasdibutr, a former member of the Senate's police reform subcommittee, said police have too much power and they play an influential role in society.
The reforms must weed out abuse of power and negligence of duty among officers, he said.
Pol Col Wirut conceded a key problem lies in the investigation system which cannot uphold justice. Investigators are ready to abandon their probes if ordered by their superiors, he said.
Pol Lt Gen Piya Uthayo, chief of the Office of the Police Commission, said police are happy to undergo reforms which are sought by the public.
He admitted police have their problems such as ineffective law enforcement and negligence of duty among some officers. All police work is meant to serve the public and police themselves realise they must adjust themselves, he said.
Police must attach importance to easing people's suffering and the task can start at stations, the gateway of the justice process, Pol Lt Gen Piya said.
Other reforms include encouraging people to participate in police reform, creating job security for police, ensuring fair budget distribution and taking good care of officers, he added.
Pol Lt Gen Piya said police are happy to give away some tasks to other agencies in line with public demands for greater decentralisation. However, he warned the process may take time.