|
| To Serve and Protect? |
| UPDATE : 27 July 2009 |
|
|
It is a universal truth that police forces worldwide are generally disliked and distrusted by the public. It's sad but they have no one to blame but themselves!
They are a most powerful group in every country because they enforce the law. But most of the time, they seem to think that enforcing the law gives them the right to be above the law.
I have first-hand experience of some police officers who I personally know abusing their power right before my eyes. Let's start with something small. I have often witnessed police officers not paying for food and services. It is the norm for them to frequent food stalls, eat and then just leave without paying. Vendors are used to it and say it's a small price to pay to not get into trouble with the police. It may seem wrong but it's true. If the vendor wanted to complain, he'd have to go to the police and no officers would be willing to side with a civilian against one of their own. The best case scenario is that nothing happens but the worst case is that the officer gets angry and make life a living hell for the vendor. Who would want to risk that?
A police officer I personally know goes further by demanding a myriad of free services such as hair cuts and suits. He supervises entertainment venues at a famous tourist spot so he's like a god for all tourist-related business entrepreneurs. Everywhere he goes, there's free stuff all around. I asked a bar owner who offered him free drinks for him and his friends on his birthday why she's doing this, she said my friend actually is one of the nice officers who doesn't really extort money but she wants to be on his good side for future favors. Hmm, bend the law for the benefit of yourself and your cronies; sounds like the MO of a former PM who's living abroad doesn't it? And that person happens to be a former police officer. Trying to be above the law really is embedded in police officers' DNA even if they'd left the force.
I haven't even talked about the monthly payments entertainment venue operators give to the police. The payment depends on the size of the establishment. I know for a fact that a huge restaurant in another busy tourist town pays 70,000 baht a month to the provincial police commander.
This certainly doesn't bode well for the general public. How do we fix it? It will be difficult and will take time but let's start with increasing salaries of the police so they can have a good living without having to depend on bribes. Then we have to restructure the force from the top down. Officers found to be extorting money from the public must be punished. Hopefully in a decade or so, we'll be able to look to our police force with pride.
Story by: Chadaporn Lin
|
| |
|
Go to Top  |
| |
|
|
