Smart new police reporting center

PHUKET TOWN: The Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Pol Lt Gen Paisarn Tangjaitrong, today opened a smart new public service center on the ground floor of the Phuket Town Police Station. The first of its kind in the country, the new 1.45-million-baht center – paid for entirely by private donations – has more in common with a modern banking hall than with a traditional police station. The station’s Superintendent, Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, told officers and guests at the official opening that the aim was to make visitors to the station feel more comfortable. Phuket, as a leading province, also deserves a high-tech police station, he added. The center is therefore equipped with two flat-screen computer monitors through which visitors can access a computerized database of police and court procedures, offenses and penalties, police service information and the mobile telephone numbers of officers. Air-conditioning and comfortable seating in shades of blue (to reflect Phuket’s seaside location, Col Paween explained) make a visit to the police station a more pleasant experience.