Checkpoint cameras aim to discourage police corruption
The national police chief has ordered officers manning checkpoints nationwide to wear uniforms and body cameras to ensure transparency and prevent cases of extortion and bribery.
Pol Gen Visanu Prasattongosoth, the police inspector-general, revealed that national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas has instructed the Office of the Inspector General to investigate allegations of extortion by police at checkpoints.
He said regional inspectors will randomly survey the checkpoints.
“Pol Gen Damrongsak emphasised that officers must be wearing uniforms and install body cameras to film evidence of their actions. Also, the checkpoints need to benefit the public and be supervised by senior officials,” Pol Gen Visanu said.
He said checkpoints are there to prevent crimes and guarantee public security. If any checkpoint is reported to have caused problems outside of its remit, senior officers and police at the checkpoint must be held responsible, he added.
Royal Thai Police (RTP) spokesman Pol Maj Gen Archayon Kraithong said officers who commit extortion or accept bribes while on duty at checkpoints would face criminal charges.
He said every checkpoint must operate to solve crimes, prevent accidents and otherwise uphold the law. If any checkpoints fail to perform their duties or are found to have extorted people, the chief of the police station will face punishment.
The latest moves by the RTP come in the wake of claims by whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit, who claimed that more than 88 police stations had recently extorted money worth 324 million baht via their checkpoints to make up for a loss of revenue from casinos that had been shut down.
Mr Chuvit claimed officers at checkpoints do not extort bribes from people for their personal use, but rather for a quota which requires them to send money to the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB).
MBP checkpoints in Bangkok have to make at least 100,000 baht per day or 3 million baht a month to meet the minimum goal, he said. All 88 stations in Bangkok will eventually pay the MPB a monthly fee of 264 million baht, he said.