The National Reform Council's (NRC) committee on reform of the law and justice process has agreed to propose a complete restructuring of the police service to decentralise power to regional and local levels, committee spokesman Wanchai Sornsiri said on Tuesday, as reported by Manager Online.
Mr Wanchai said the committee agreed at a meeting today that the Royal Thai Police Office (RTPO) should be totally reorganised.
Under the proposal, the Office of the Police Commission, which is responsible for transfers and appointments, would be abolished.
It would be replaced by a Police Affairs Council whose members would comprise heads of security-related government offices, heads of units in the justice process, representatives of the National Human Rights Commission and other resourceful people selected by MPs and senators.
Mr Wanchai said administrative power now centred at the RTPO head office would be redistributed to regional and local levels, where local people would be allowed to participate in administration, appointments and transfers of police personnel.
Some police units wouldbe removed from the RTPO's supervision andplaced under agencies with relevant responsibilities. For example, the forestry police should be under the Forestry Department, railway police under the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), and tourist police under the Tourism and Sports Ministry, he said.
Mr Wanchai said this proposal would be forwarded to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) for consideration.
A subcommittee would be set up to draft supplementary laws to support the restructuring of the RTPO, he said.