‘Community cops’ slash crime rate

KHON KAEN: A small village in Non Sila district in this northeastern province has seen its crime rate and public disturbances tumble and attributed this to having set up a “village police station”.

However, the community station at Ban Nong Wa differs from those elsewhere in the province and in the northeastern region, according to district chief Ruj Rangsi.

While the station has a police officer, its core personnel comprise village defence volunteers and local officials who are armed only with shoulder-high wooden poles known as Scout staffs, not guns.

Mr Ruj said Ban Nong Wa is the only village in the province and in the Northeast to have a so-called village police station. Moreover, it has separate cells for holding male and female suspects.

The idea of setting up a community police station was floated following the theft of cattle from a villager’s property, he said.

After the owner reported the theft to the village head and Non Sila police, other villagers launched a hunt for the thieves and stolen cattle.

In less than three hours, the search party apprehended the thieves, handed them over to police and returned the cattle to the owner.

Mr Ruj said the incident showed how much potential Ban Nong Wa village has.

“So the parties concerned sat down with the village committee to discuss how they could take it to another level. And the committee decided to set up a police station with separate cells for men and women,” he said.

Each day a police officer is sent to the community station. While going about his police business, the officer also gives advice to the station staff.

Civilians are allowed to respond and intervene if incidents are not violent, said Mr Ruj. But if firearms are involved, police from Non Sila station will be sent to help.

The district chief said robberies and thefts declined after the village police station was up and running, adding that alcohol-related disputes have dwindled and there are fewer drug-related incidents.

According to Mr Ruj, Scout staffs have their merits and can be a versatile and effective tool when in trained hands. Non Sila police have also trained the staff how to use the staffs and intervene as a team.

Ban Nong Wa recently won awards from Khon Kaen provincial police office and Police Region 4 overseeing the upper Northeast for its community policing work, he said, adding the village is being nominated for a national-level award.