Panel wants new way to find top cop

Panel wants new way to find top cop

Somkid Lertpaitoon, spokesman for the new police reform committee, has detailed proposals on how to pick a national police chief. (Bangkok Post file photo by Jiraporn Kuhakan)
Somkid Lertpaitoon, spokesman for the new police reform committee, has detailed proposals on how to pick a national police chief. (Bangkok Post file photo by Jiraporn Kuhakan)

A police reform committee is considering a proposal that seeks to exclude the Royal Thai Police (RTP) board from appointing a national police chief in order to prevent political interference.

Somkid Lertpaitoon, rector of Thammasat University and the panel's spokesman, said most members agree the RTP's board, that comprises many politicians and is chaired by the prime minister, should no longer be able to approve a nominee's appointment.

He said the RTP's board should be limited to overseeing policy guidelines only. The board currently has the power to approve the appointment of a police chief and is in charge of the force's policy guidelines.

According to Mr Somkid, the panel members understand it is impossible to completely eliminate politicians from the RTP board so they want to reduce their influence and make some changes to its structure.

Mr Somkid said the committee also suggests the appointment of the police chief should rest entirely with the Police Commission.

Currently the commission nominates a police chief and forwards the nomination to the RTP board for approval.

However, as the commission is usually chaired by the prime minister or a deputy minister, the panel believes the commission's structure should be revamped too, he said. Some suggest the commission be chaired by a retired police officer, he added.

According to Mr Somkid, all the proposals and suggestions are still open for discussion.

Mr Somkid said the committee has yet to discuss the finer points on what guidelines to use in selecting a national police chief and what their qualifications should be.

The proposal involving changes to the RTP's board and the Police Commission will be among the first to be put up for public comments, he added.

The 36-member committee, headed by former supreme commander Boonsrang Niumpradit, was set up early this month by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to work on police reform in three areas: police organisation, human resources and legal affairs.

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