THE THREE POLICEWOMEN LEADING A FORCE FOR CHANGE
New station chief rules are set to give female officers a chance to break the brass ceiling By Jeerawat Na Thalang
Pol Col Darunee Tassana’s life reads like the protagonist from a neonoir crime series. She is a tough single mother who juggles raising her child with the rigours of a demanding professional life, which sometimes means chasing bad guys with a gun.
But Pol Col Darunee is not one to step in front of the cameras. Her no-nonsense style makes her more interested in solving crimes than talking to the press.
Less than 20 minutes into her interview with the Bangkok Post Sunday, the 53-year-old stopped to ask, “Why is this taking so long?” This despite the fact Pol Col Darunee has cause for celebration: she appears set to make history with a new job as superintendent for inquiries at Bang Sue police station, a post that will effectively make her a co-station chief.
If the promotion goes ahead, she will be the first female officer to to helm a police station in Thailand.
But she won’t do it alone: Two other women officers, Pol Col Paweena Ekachat and Pol Col Chatkaew Vanchawee, have also been tapped for the same position at other police stations.
Acting Bangkok police chief Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathaworn said last week that the three women have passed the first screening process, and the final part of the selection process — an interview — will take place soon.
“Women should enjoy equal rights to this job,” Pol Lt Gen Sanit said.
Under a new police force structure, inquiry officers will be made joint chiefs of police stations, paving the way for female officers who have risen to the upper ranks through more academically oriented inquiry work.
Outside of inquiry officers, most female police officers work in administration or communications, making them less qualified to head a station.
Pol Lt Gen Sanit said no final decision had been made on whether the three female candidates will be appointed. But Pol Col Darunee said she is grateful for the opportunity. “It marks a new dimension for the police department,” she said.
With a law degree from Ramkhamhaeng University, Pol Col Darunee has been involved in a number of high-profile cases at Bang Sue police station, where she has been working for more than 20 years.
She investigated the blaze at Siam Commercial Bank last year and the gun attack on the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road in 2014.
During the height of the 2010 political rallies, Pol Col Darunee took turns with her male counterparts to command more than 20 male officers monitoring the demonstrations on Rama VI Road and ensure the mob did not turn to violence.
“Each shift covered two hours. I had to be standing all the time and fully alert, the same as my male colleagues,” she recalled.
Pol Col Darunee received the exact same training as her male peers. “I have learned how to use both handguns and long guns.” Luckily, she added, she has not had to shoot anyone yet.
Asked if she had faced any resistance from her male subordinates, she said: “No, they always follow my instructions.”
Currently, Pol Col Darunee is the head of inquiry officers at Bang Sue, which is considered a large police station with a staff count of 180. She oversees almost 20 inquiry officers, four of whom are women.
The second candidate for the post of superintendent, Pol Col Paweena, began her career as a nurse at the Police Hospital before deciding on a dramatic change of course. “I wanted to become a policewoman. I wanted more challenging work.”
Pol Col Paweena went back to school to study law and went on to become a police inquiry officer. Asked if she found the transition difficult, she said: “I think the nature of police work and nursing are similar; they are both in the service line of work.”
Pol Col Paweena has been recognised for her work in children’s and women’s
cases, receiving an award in 2008 for outstanding policing in that field. Throughout her 17 years as an inquiry officer, she has worked closely with non-profit groups to assist abuse victims.
“I have to collect evidence and look at all the components of a case. I also try to understand the damaged party, as it is my responsibility to seek justice for everyone,” she said.
The third candidate, Pol Col Chatkaew, earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law. The 55 year old became a policewoman in 1992, starting in the financial and administration division.
In 1995, when the Royal Thai Police first recruited women for the position of inquiry officer, Pol Col Chatkaew passed the test and training and joined the first group of women ever to serve in that role. Pol Col Darunee was her classmate.
Before transferring to the central city police office last year, Pol Col Chatkaew spent several years working at Makkasan Police Station. She was responsible for many cases, especially abuse of minors and women.
Among her greatest achievements have been the investigation of a 2004 case involving the abuse of 67 Lao workers at a factory in Bangkok.
“I had only 48 days to interview around 70 witnesses by myself and to submit the case to prosecutors,” she said.
“Many of the victims were Lao workers under 18. I used multidisciplinary skills and knowledge to complete the case,” she said.
A wife and a mother of two grown-up children, Pol Col Chatkaew’s husband is not a police officer but understands the nature of her demanding work.
“I did not spend as much time with my kids when they were younger. I had to work odd hours and during the weekend,” Pol Col Chatkaew said.
At any rate, she said the nomination for superintendent marks a change in culture in what has long been a male-dominated police force. She refused to say whether the change is long overdue.
“The change has come naturally with time, starting with the recruitment of female inquiry officers in 1995. It is a positive step. Gradually, people have realised that we can be as competent as our male counterparts,” she said.
Some male officers however are not quite convinced that a woman is suitable to be a station boss. Pol Lt Gen Chaiwat Ketworachai, chief of Provincial Police Region 1, commented that while Bangkok stations may soon have female bosses, provincial stations may not be ready for a woman chief yet.
“Provincial police stations deals with lot of suppression cases,” he reasoned.
Pol Col Chatkaew admitted women may face certain physical limitations, but argued they have other strong points. “Women can be better negotiators. I find it easier for a woman to ask for cooperation from people,” she said.
Does it mean she has to work harder than her male counterparts? Pol Col Chatkaew shook her head. “I have never thought I need to prove myself to anyone. I just do my job to the best of my ability every day,” she said.
And that is seemingly enough for a female law enforcement officer to earn acceptance from her peers.