Police superintendents’ authority adjusted under police reform law

The power to sign off a crime case file to be proceeded to the public prosecutors will in the future rest with the chief inquiry officer of each police station instead of the superintendent of the station as it has been the case for years.

Mr Kamnoon Sidhisamarn, spokesman of the panel charged with scrutinizing the National Police Reform Bill, said Saturday (April 28) that the panel agreed to amend the bill, which will see the authority to sign off a crime case file prepared by police inquiry officers at every police station to be transferred from the superintendent of a station to a chief inquiry officer of the same station.

The power shift is meant to guarantee the independence and professionalism of police inquiry officers, said Mr Kamnoon, adding that the amended bill will seek to create a new post for the chief inquiry officer at each police station besides the superintendent who is the chief of the station.

However, he said an internal check-and-balance mechanism would be introduced with the creation of a new post for a senior inquiry officer who will oversee the work performance of the chief inquiry officers.

As for external check-and-balance mechanism, Mr Kamnoon said the issue would be further discussed.

On top of that, he said that the panel pondering the possibility of officers working in technical fields such as forensic, science and education which is unrelated to crime suppression and prevention to be policemen that have no rankings.