NRSA backs increase in police welfare

The National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) has backed a proposal to improve police welfare, after learning job-related stress has caused over 100 suicides in the last three years.

Deputy national police chief Worapong Chewprecha told an NRSA meeting on Tuesday that 113 police officers had committed suicide in the last three years as a result of job-related stress. There were 40 in 2014, 38 in 2015, and 35 last year.

Police officers often encounter stress from what is an underpaid job, he added. “There should be a boost in police officers’ earnings, to make them reflect the scope of risk and tiredness they must encounter,” he said.

Pol Gen Worapong said these pay rises could go to officers who are often subjected to dangerous situations and those whose working hours exceed the normal working hours of other civil servants.

Staff and vehicle shortages are a main problem, as the force is almost 44,000 officers and over 30,000 vehicles short, he said.

The shortages have caused problems for the Royal Thai Police in deploying police officers evenly throughout the country, especially in metropolitan areas, he said, adding the staff shortage has set back crime prevention efforts.

Pol Gen Worapong claimed there is also a lack of money to pay officers investigating criminal cases. He said investigation officers often have to set aside budgets earmarked for other purposes for assigned cases.

These officers often have dig into their own pockets in the course of their work and, at times, what they spend on investigation work is not reimbursed, he said.

As a result, many officers are reluctant to do investigation work, he told the NRSA meeting.

The amount of money not reimbursed since 2013 has reached about 729 million baht, he added.

“Investigation officers’ salaries should be equal to officers working in other law enforcement institutions, such as the National Anti-Corruption Commission or the Department of Special Investigation,” Pol Gen Worapong said.

Most NRSA members at the meeting on Tuesday agreed with the proposals to increase the number of police officers, and for them to receive a higher salary. The meeting voted 129 to one in favour of the proposals, with 16 abstentions.

The proposals will be sent to the cabinet and the 36-member police reform committee for consideration.