The Police Commission yesterday began the process of restructuring the police force following instructions from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) for the commission to undertake the task.
Police officers take part in the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s annual training competition. A total of 911 officers from all nine divisions of the MPB participated in this year’s event, which is aimed at enhancing discipline, physical strength and unity. Apichart Jinakul
At its first meeting since the NCPO's restructuring announcements on Monday night, the commission looked at how the order affects the commission's structure, said Pol Gen Watcharapol Prasarnratchakij, a deputy national police chief and acting chairman of the commission.
The first effect of the NCPO announcements resulted in all specialist members of the commission being removed from their posts, said Pol Gen Watcharapol.
The NCPO's move was seen as an attempt to reduce political interference in the police reshuffle since specialists were appointed to the commission, the governing body of the force, by politicians.
Deputy national police chiefs and police inspectors-general would be appointed chairmen of the commission's seven sub-committees which were previously chaired by the specialist members, said Pol Gen Watcharapol, who is also the acting police chief.
Appointment orders would come later when the commission decides on who should head which sub-committee, he said.
Pol Gen Watcharapol said he had yet to discuss with NCPO chief Prayuth Chan-ocha the matter of the new national police chief's appointment. Gen Prayuth served also as chairman of the Board of the Royal Thai Police — responsible for appointing the new national police chief.
The commission also discussed the importance of the annual officer reshuffle to be undertaken soon, Pol Gen Watcharapol said.
The commission considers the reshuffle of deputy national police chiefs and those in lower ranks, he said.
Asked who is the most likely candidate for new national police chief, Pol Gen Watcharapol would not say.
"All I could say now is that the new police chief would be one of the current five deputy police chiefs and police inspectors,'' he said.