Cops to lose jurisdiction over range of crimes in 3-5 years
The police reform committee has set a series of deadlines for transferring special units that are currently under the umbrella of the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to other agencies.
The deadlines vary from three to five years, according to Somkid Lertpaitoon, the committee spokesman.
The deadlines were proposed by the sub-committee studying the transfer to the reform committee, which is chaired by Gen Boonsrang Niumpradit. It approved the proposal yesterday.
The sub-committee, headed by Manuch Wattanakomain, has recently concluded its study on the transfer of several units supervised by the RTP.
The Boonsrang committee agreed in principle on a three-year deadline for the shift of power in four areas.
First, traffic police will work under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, local municipalities and Pattaya City.
Their tasks involve directing road traffic and enforcing discipline and road rules.
Second, preventing and suppressing economic crimes related to customs and excise tax will be handed over to the Customs Department and the Excise Department.
Third, the prevention and suppression of crimes against national resources and the environment will be shifted to the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment.
Fourth, responsibility for combating consumer crimes will be reassigned to the Consumer Protection Board, the Public Health Ministry and the Industry Ministry.
Mr Somkid said a deadline of five years has been introduced for the transfer of other police units under the changes.
Battling crimes related to highways, land transport and vehicles — all currently handled by the highway police — will be carried out by the Transport Ministry.
The prosecution of marine and waterbased offences will be conducted by the Marine Department, which is attached to the same ministry.
Offences pertaining to the piracy of goods will come under the supervision of the Intellectual Property Department while tourism crimes will be handed over to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Mr Somkid said the committee has decided the police will work side-by-side with various agencies on cases related to railways, technology and immigration.
The railway police will cooperate with the State Railway of Thailand while the Technology Crime Suppression Division will forge closer cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, depending on the cases before them.
As for the RTP’s Immigration Bureau, details were being worked out by the Office of the Civil Service as to which agency it will work alongside.
The power transfers must be spelled out in detail in proposals to be forwarded to the Boonsrang committee for review by Feb 1 before they are presented to the cabinet for consideration.