Phuketwan on new and old police chiefs
PHUKET'S new police chief, Police Colonel Phigud Tuntiphong, will face the pressing issue of a shortage of officers and the prospect of increasing crime.
Colonel Phigud is expected to start policing the island in April, moving from Surat Thani, where he has been deputy police chief.
Phuket's present Police Chief, Major General Apirak Hongtong, is to become Commander of General Staff Division 8, the regional commander of the upper southern provinces of Phuket, Chumporn, Ranong, Phang Nga, Krabi, Nakhorn Srithammarat and Surat Thani.
A total of 16 positions of the rank of chief of police and commander were changed when senior police from all over Thailand met in Bangkok yesterday.
Another 106 relatively senior officers are also involved in the mass transfer.
When Major General Apirak arrived back in Phuket in June last year, he gave out his mobile number so that anyone could call him, day or night.
Will Colonel Phigud do the same?
Major General Apirak never did win a major increase in the number of police officers, something the essential key to future security and safety for the island's residents and tourist visitors.
In an interview with Phuketwan Major General Apirak said the economic downturn was likely to be the cause of an increase in crime on Phuket.
''People need to help themselves,'' he said, ''To relieve pressure on police. Burglar alarms and CCTV help to protect properties.''
He said there were about 800 police on the island now - a considerable drop on previous numbers, which were never enough anyway.
Major General Apirak said the ration at present was one police officer to every 2000 residents, a disturbingly low figure bearing in mind the extra numbers of tourists still coming.
Major General Apirak introduced a volunteers system and there are about 60 of those, but they are only empowered to do some specific traffic and patrol tasks, not make arrests.
''Police on the island work about 50 percent harder than they once did,'' he said. ''They have to.''
Major General Apirak was given control of the Tatchatchai Checkpoint by former governor Dr Preecha Ruangjan in an effort to improve security on the crossing from the mainland.
His aim was to make Phuket crime-free, but that didn't happen. He did manage to cut the road traffic toll.
But he says he is still worried about drugs, teenage motor-racers and crime in general.
Major General Apirak, who once stood for election for the Thai Rak Thai party, may have fallen victim to Democrat politics.
Phuketwan Police File
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