Police Go Hi-Tech – At a Price

PATONG BEACH: The Kathu Police Station is asking for donations to complete a hi-tech, 930,000 baht Control and Operations Centre. Pol Col Kokiat Wongvorachart, superintendent of Kathu Police, said local businesses had already donated 415,000 baht, but police need another 515,000 baht to complete the centre. He said the project was not eligible for government funding. The Control and Operations Centre will be fitted with a radio monitoring unit, a Local Area Network (LAN) computer system, and a closed circuit television system. Pol Col Kokiat said a detailed map of the district would allow the radio monitoring unit to pinpoint patrolling police officers who contact the centre. Colour coding will be used to distinguish the types of activities and requests by these officers. The LAN computer network will allow patrolling police, detectives, investigation units, traffic police and administrators to share data from a main server. Information stored on the system will include outstanding arrest warrants, stolen vehicle details, lists of known criminal offenders, and a data base of past criminal activities. Those who want to contribute to the project can contact Pol Col Kokiat or Pol Maj Yuthave Nakanakorn, Crime Control Inspector and Project Manager, at the Kathu Police Station (Tel: 342719/21).