Pol. Col. Krissakorn Thong-In
says police generally agree with a community-based approach to drug
enforcement, but have qualms about how tolerant it appears.
Phasakorn Channgam
Police are questioning a proposed community-based program
to combat illegal drug use through increased monitoring and rehabilitation,
saying it runs counter to their goals to lock up users.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh met with Pattaya-Sriracha
Network Party President Niran Chuiviset and representatives from the Pattaya
and Banglamung police stations Sept. 2 at Pattaya City Hall to outline the
goals of the “Combating Drugs in Pattaya-Sriracha” initiative.
Niran said the program calls on chiefs of 37 villages to
establish committees to keep better tabs on abusers, dealers and sources of
drugs and report offenses to police. He said it also emphasizes the
importance of access to assistance, care and prevention. In cases of
addiction, the drug user would be interrogated on the source of narcotics
and given a “second chance” through rehabilitation.
In the case where a user is also a minor dealer, Niran
added, the addict would be used to catch larger dealers.
Col. Krissakorn Thong-In, Deputy Pattaya Police Crime
Suppression Director, said police generally agree with a community-based
approach, but some of the program’s goals - particularly those giving drug
users and minor dealers “second chances” - runs counter to police directives
to lock up anyone found using even the smallest quantity of drugs.
He said officers might be reluctant to go along with the
program if they were penalized for not meeting their arrest quotas.
He said more work is needed to integrate police policies with the goals
of community leaders. Thus, more meetings are planned and will involve
representatives from all 37 affected communities.
