Phuket police chief calls on officers to use smart phones, rolling checkpoints

PHUKET: The 48 Royal Thai Police officers installed in their new positions in Phuket yesterday were ordered to boost their public image and their effectiveness by staging “rolling checkpoints” and using smart phones.

The news was handed down by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat at a ceremony at Provincial Police headquarters in Phuket Town.

Maj Gen Choti ordered the officers to assist the in the current campaign to bring the total number of taxis and tuk-tuks operating on the island under regulation and to specifically focus on cases that involved tourists and foreigners, whether they be victims or suspects.

“Police should be strong and disciplined in their investigations in order to deliver justice to the people. Police also need to look clean and tidy, especially when they go out to perform their duties. They should wear police uniforms to engender trust from the public,” he said.

Gen Choti also installed the superintendents of Phuket’s two new police precincts – in Karon and Wichit.

Former Chalong police chief Col Sirisak Wasasiri was assigned to the position of police chief of Karon, and Lt Col Chaowalit Petsripia, formerly the Deputy Superintendent of Khok Kloy Police Station in Phang Nga, was installed as the first Superintendent of Wichit Police Station.

Lt Col Krittapad Dej-intorrasorn from Provincial Police Region 8 headquarters in Surat Thani returns to Phuket as the Chalong Superintendent.

Col Krittapad had previously served as the Chalong police chief, and was the police chief that launched the manhunt for murder fugitive Lee Aldhouse two years ago, but at that time he was known as Wichit Intorrasorn.

The two new police precincts were officially formed on Thursday. Although the new police stations have yet to be built, officers in Karon, a popular tourist beach area, and in Wichit, a heavy residential area, are using their temporary offices as their headquarters in the meantime.

Gen Choti highlighted that officers should make good use of smart phones in performing their day-to-day duties. “In emergencies, they could send photos related to the case by phone,” he said.

Regarding the static road checkpoints police regularly set up around the island, Gen Choti pointed out that the checkpoints could be moved to improve their effectiveness.

“They don’t need to be set up for hours; only 30 minutes should be enough, then they should be moved to other places,” he said.

“Phuket is different from the three southern border provinces, where especially tight counter-terrorism security is needed. The more pressing needs in Phuket are the protection of tourism and natural resources, and drug suppression,” the commander added.

— Atchaa Khamlo