PHUKET: Police Commander Major General Pachara Boonyasit warned officers yesterday that they will be expected to obey the law, just like everyone else.
''I first heard talk about bad police on Phuket when I came to the island to help with the secret investigation of Karon taxi drivers,'' he said. ''We have to support good police and enforce the laws against bad police.''
Commander Pachara, who has impressed with a series of crackdowns on drugs and weapons, as well as quick arrests in keynote cases, said there were both good and bad police on Phuket.
''Police are expected to be of exceptional behavior around the clock and we will provide support to any officer in need,'' he said. ''Our aim is to ensure that all officers perform up to their ability on Phuket.''
He raised two specific cases where allegations had been made recently against police. In the first instance, friends of a man who suffered a fractured skull near a checkpoint accused officers of wielding a baton.
''The case hasn't been proven,'' the commander said. ''The officer wasn't carrying a baton and the evidence of Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation staff indicates the man most likely crashed his motorcycle near the checkpoint.''
Police were still awaiting the results of drug tests on the man, the commander said.
He added that another man who complained about a police raid on his home had opted to go to court on fraud charges the following day.
Police have raided more than 200 homes recently in pursuit of Phuket's drugs network leaders.
''By undertaking this operation with the Army, we have access to homes under military law without the need for first asking courts for search warrants,'' he said. ''We are acting within the existing laws.''
Gambling remained a problem on Phuket but not on the large scale claimed by some Bangkok lobbyists from time to time, the commander said.
''I first heard talk about bad police on Phuket when I came to the island to help with the secret investigation of Karon taxi drivers,'' he said. ''We have to support good police and enforce the laws against bad police.''
Commander Pachara, who has impressed with a series of crackdowns on drugs and weapons, as well as quick arrests in keynote cases, said there were both good and bad police on Phuket.
''Police are expected to be of exceptional behavior around the clock and we will provide support to any officer in need,'' he said. ''Our aim is to ensure that all officers perform up to their ability on Phuket.''
He raised two specific cases where allegations had been made recently against police. In the first instance, friends of a man who suffered a fractured skull near a checkpoint accused officers of wielding a baton.
''The case hasn't been proven,'' the commander said. ''The officer wasn't carrying a baton and the evidence of Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation staff indicates the man most likely crashed his motorcycle near the checkpoint.''
Police were still awaiting the results of drug tests on the man, the commander said.
He added that another man who complained about a police raid on his home had opted to go to court on fraud charges the following day.
Police have raided more than 200 homes recently in pursuit of Phuket's drugs network leaders.
''By undertaking this operation with the Army, we have access to homes under military law without the need for first asking courts for search warrants,'' he said. ''We are acting within the existing laws.''
Gambling remained a problem on Phuket but not on the large scale claimed by some Bangkok lobbyists from time to time, the commander said.
Splendid, this Police Commander is great in encouraging his officers who want to do a good police job in order to improve the image of the police force on Phuket. Perhaps Major General Pachara can give 5 minutes of his time to the 'black police spot' on Patak Road in Chalong? It is just 500 meters where bars in resendential areas keep people who live there out there sleep till after 04:00 AM. (it is the area where a chalong police officer last May at 04:00 AM killed a working bar waitress with his police gun. ( forensicly proven).
Posted by Kurt on December 12, 2014 10:10