Like everyone else who has made adjustments during the "new normal", law enforcement agents have observed significant changes in the patterns of crimes and begun to modify their tactics.
The good news is that the street crime rates have significantly decreased as many people are working from home to avoid infection, said Crime Suppression Division (CSD) chief Pol Maj Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej yesterday.
A similar decline in crime rates has been observed globally, from Indonesia to South Africa, Maj Gen Jirabhop added.
"Traffic accidents and traffic offences, such as driving under the influence of alcohol, have also ebbed," Pol Maj Gen Jirabhop said.
However, certain types of crimes are escalating, especially fraud in the sale of medical devices and domestic violence, he noted.
The CSD chief said various forms of online fraud have become more rampant during the Covid-19 outbreak, including job and investment scams as well as identity theft.
Police require cooperation from relevant authorities and arrest suspects.
Law enforcement agents now need to work with the public and private organisations to catch criminals who sometimes do not live in Thailand, he said, referring to online scams.
Pol Maj Gen Jirabhop said if online scams are operated in Thailand, police officers must outmanoeuvre the criminals and catch them before they flee the country.
He said that by working with national and international law enforcement agencies, the CSD last year recorded a total of 3,712 criminal cases, including 553 cases of fraud and 116 transnational crimes.
"As more people become more active online during the Covid-19 outbreak, the CSD has also conducted active crime surveillance through its Facebook page," Pol Maj Gen Jirabhop said.
He noted that in addition to the CSD's 1195 hotline, suspected criminal activities can be reported via direct message on CSD's Facebook Messenger handle.
Pol Col Phongnakhon Nakhonsanti, deputy chief of the Budget Division of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), said departments within the force must implement new normal adjustments so work can continue efficiently.
Col Phongnakhon said other law enforcement agencies have coped with changes posed by Covid-19, and if the RTP does not bring their systems online, it will be left behind.
The Courts of Justice, for instance, have adopted an online witness system for testimonies, he said.
"The police have shifted some of its work online on a trial basis, which helps bring down operational costs," Col Phongnakhon said, referring to training courses.
Institutions have been able to cut the cost of food and accommodation by digitising training.
"More workshops and training will follow suit in the future," Col Phongnakhon said.
A work-from-home system has also been introduced for personnel in the RTP's administration units, he added.
As a result, the RTP has so far saved money on paper, electricity and water, Col Phongnakhon said.
RTP staff working from home are happier as they no longer spend a lot of money on travel, he said, adding they also get to save time.
Col Phongnakhon said that moving forward, the RTP plans to digitise policing, a move accelerated by the sudden arrival of the new normal.
An online traffic payment system has already been initiated and new information technology equipment has recently been utilised for patrols, he said.
Col Phongnakhon said the RTP is centralising the monitoring of public places through CCTV surveillance under a single command.
Patrol cars will be equipped with access to the civil register and driver's licence data to track suspect vehicles.
"Every police station will open a high-tech operations room where the head of a patrol unit can access live footage from all security cameras in their jurisdiction and beyond," he said.
All police stations are required to revamp themselves to be technologically driven, which can assist criminal investigations and law enforcement.
Col Phongnakhon said that the unemployment rate is predicted to surge as a result of the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and police are now bracing for a jump in crime rates stemming from poverty.
Pol Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang, chief of the Immigration Bureau, said it too has implemented an online system to provide more efficient services to foreigners who need to contact the bureau amid the outbreak.
He noted that to fully facilitate online immigration services, some laws will need to be amended, which could already be underway.