The position of national police chief should be limited to a five-year term while the Royal Thai Police (RTP) should be supervised by a secretary-general appointed from outside candidates, Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Kittiphong Kittayarak said yesterday.

The existing position of national commander of the Royal Thai Police should be tasked with handling routine duties concerning general public services and community policing while the new position should be mainly responsible for policy making, personnel development, annual promotion and crime prevention.

Kittiphong, chairman of a government panel charged with restructuring the RTP, said although it might seem ideal to appoint a qualified secretary-general from outside the RTP, in practice it might not work and would be unfair to police officers who otherwise would be acceptable candidates for the post.

When completed, the draft version of a bill featuring the new police structure will be unveiled on March 13 and undergo a public hearing, he said.

The structure of the new police force should be divided into three elements similar to the three existing entities - the Central Investigation Bureau, Crime Suppression Division and the Special Branch, each of which handles support operations, special investigations and anti-crime intelligence services, respectively.

Officers serving outside Bangkok should be supervised by Provincial Police Regions, and be allowed to fully run operations in their jurisdictions. Civilian volunteers would be encouraged to take part in crime prevention in their areas with assistance and guidance from local police.

Instruction at the Royal Police Cadet Academy (RPCA) would be conducted in a non-military style while the curriculum used would be modified to make it more oriented towards a service mentality. The academic qualifications of the future academy commander should be equivalent to a university dean.

Apart from candidates who directly apply to the RPCA, those with bachelor's degrees were welcome to become police cadets.

Retired Pol General Wasit Dejkunchorn, who is working with Kittiphong, said in a TV interview that all level-five ranks assigned to non-commissioned officers could be scrapped. Police would be assigned only commissioned and non-commissioned rankings. The ranking system based on a military style, from sub-lieutenant to general, should also be changed, especially among officers who work in plain clothes.

He criticised the passive work style of the police, saying most only began to do any work when people lodged petitions. He said the centralisation of authority by a police commander, such as at the Highway Police division, should also be changed. The Highway Patrol division should be controlled by local police stations.