Thailand’s national police chief has ordered checkpoint officers to store body cam footage for 20 days. The order from Damrongsak Kittiprapas comes after two recent incidents where visiting tourists were allegedly extorted by Thai police officers.
The first case was that of Taiwanese actress Charlotte An and the other involved an unnamed Chinese tourist. The police involved in the Charlotte An case claimed their bodycam footage had been automatically deleted. However, it was subsequently revealed that the memory cards used had been deliberately destroyed, although some data was recovered.
The police chief’s order also requires officers to seek permission from superiors before setting up checkpoints and states that superiors who approve such checkpoints will face investigation and penalties if officers are accused of misconduct.
The order also calls for random inspections of checkpoints and the recording of all individuals stopped at checkpoints. The purpose of these measures is to increase transparency and prevent future instances of police misconduct.
SOURCE: The Phuket Express
