Plea for bigger police budget

PHUKET: Benjapol Thongton, a member of Phuket’s Public Committee of Inquiry into Police Affairs, today called for Phuket’s police to be given a larger budget. K. Benjapol made his plea at a three-hour meeting of the committee chaired by Pol Gen Soonthorn Saikwan, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, at Phuket Town Police Station. “The committee and police are strongly committed to resolving problems, but the problem is that the budget is not large enough,” K. Benjapol said. “Phuket is an international province where the police are required to handle many affairs such as welcoming members of the Royal Family and international guests. So Phuket should be given more money than other provinces,” he explained. Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi offered to allow the police greater use of the resources of other government departments. “If possible, I’d like government departments to help the police, especially with cases about real estate or customs,” he said. However, the governor qualified his suggestion by saying that government officers aiding police investigations should be trained by experts and their role should not diminish police powers to make arrests. Gen Soonthorn agreed with the governor’s idea, adding, “The Royal Thai Police will soon be coordinating with the Excise Department in their investigations.”