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Police Station Reform for Thai Society
Office of the Public Sector Development Commission
Thailand

The Problem

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) has the mandate to maintain law and order
while protecting life and property of Thai citizens. Nationwide, there are
210,000 police officers and 1,459 police stations, serving a population of 63.4
million in 77 provinces, with an officer / population ratio of 1:303. Bangkok
Metropolis has the highest population density, with 10 million population and
the highest crime rates. It comes under the responsibility of the Metropolitan
Police Bureau and its 88 police stations. Thai society is facing a host of socioeconomic
problems, ranging from social inequality and injustice, to drug
trafficking and addiction to more virulent crimes in terms of both volume and
complexity.
Against this social backdrop, the situation is worsened by the behavior of
a large number of police officers. Instead of adhering to the principles of
Human and Civil Rights under the Constitution, these officers neglect to carry
out their duties as required by the law. Not only do they fail to protect the
public, they habitually follow a Crime Control Model that focuses on the
efficiency of crime suppression. Their predilection for authoritarian and violent
modus operandi is a cause for concern at the highest level. Successive
governments have therefore set out to reform the entire police system.
Eventually, a Police System Development Committee was set up towards the
end of 2006, whose mandate is to develop and increase the efficiency of police
stations in four aspects: improving service quality by standardizing the service
system; engaging the public in police duties in protecting life and property and
traffic control; reviewing police performance in administering justice; and
standardizing the investigation system.
Bukkhalo Police Station
As part of a nationwide reform of police stations, the RTP designated
Bukkhalo Police Station under the Metropolitan Police Bureau, as one of the
pilot police stations. It currently provides services to 400,000 Bangkokians,
covering an area of 5 square kilometers where approximately
1,677 crimes take place in a year. It is staffed with 193 police officers, resulting
in a police officer per/population ratio of 1:2,072.
Bukkhalo Police Station was found to have all of the four service-related
problems which had been identified earlier:
1. On administering justice. The victims and general public had no
confidence in police work;
2. On crime control. The public had no confidence in police crime
control and solution and failed to cooperate with the police despite an
increase in crime rates and drug trafficking.
3. On traffic control. Not only was traffic managed inefficiently, the
public also failed to abide by traffic laws.
4. On service delivery. The public were dissatisfied with the slow and
inconvenient services, rude police officers in a disorderly
environment, lacking adequate seating and parking.
With successful reform, the Bukkhalo police station was expected to
deliver efficient and high quality services. The results will then be replicated in
all police stations across the country so that they can transform their
administration to provide more efficient and effective services to their
customers as required by the reform principles.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
2. Key Benefits of the Solution
The Bukkhalo Police Station reform initiative launched in 2007 focuses
on achieving service excellence. Citizens formed allied networks and
participate actively in project activities with the police.
Problems of police public service delivery were resolved in the
following ways:
1. A strategy map showing the development process from beginning to
end was designed to solve misunderstanding between policy-makers
and practitioners.
2. Outcomes mapping was deployed to maintain continuity in quality
improvement of services and to assess customer satisfaction.
3. A paradigm shift in service culture was expected and should change
police’s authoritarian values vis-à-vis citizens whom they are
supposed to serve.
4. Applying outreach program to enhance public participation unity, the
police worked with their partners in communities, temples, schools,
and private-sector and government agencies.
5. Applying Knowledge/Skill/Attitude (KSA) helped to enforced change
in the work concept and eliminate negative image of police.
When these solutions were applied, the result was dramatic improvements
in every area of service. Today, Bukkhalo police station efficiently offers
services which responded to public needs as measured by performance
indicators for 2010:
1. On administering justice, victims’ confidence in investigators for their
case work and case follow-up rose from 74 percent in 2006 to 94
percent in 2010. The investigator’s ability to offer justice also rose
from 56% to 100%.
Bukkhalo Police Station
2. On life and property protection, public satisfaction at problem solving
and crime control rose from 58% to 90%. Performance indicators
showed confidence in the patrol officers’ ability to protect life and
property rose from 64% to 100%.
3. On traffic control, public satisfaction grew from 75% to 96%.
Confidence in traffic safety rose from 77% to 94% while the success
in traffic control rose from 76% to 95%, and loss of life from traffic
accidents decreased from 9 deaths to 4 deaths per year.
4. In general for services provided at the station and outside, public
satisfaction over Front Office services rose from 74% to 96% while
waiting time has reduced by 50%. Time spent requesting bail reduced
by 75%.
As a result of increased satisfaction, public cooperation with the police
has improved. Statistics of crime solving and successful arrests at the Bukkhalo
police station is now higher than the national average, and higher than the US
and Singapore average as can be seen from the following:
Arrests in criminal cases at Bukkhalo police station is 76.4% compared
with the national average of 54.17% and US at 45.1% and Singapore at
52.5%.
For theft cases Bukkhalo police station has 57.2% arrests against national
average of 43.27% and in the US 18.7% and in Singapore 27%.
Bukkhalo police station today has an overall crime rate of 176 cases per
100,000 persons whereas the national average is at 183. Comparatively,
the US has 3,465.5 and Singapore 661 cases.
(Sources: www.police.go.th, www.singstat.gov.sg, www.fbi.gov)

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
3. Project Personnel and Stakeholders.
Prior to 2006, there were ongoing reform efforts to improve service
delivery by police stations with no tangible successes. Towards the end of that
year, the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police appointed the Police
Operating System Development Committee. Its mandate was to tackle the
service delivery system of police stations by addressing such key problems as
administration of justice, protection of life and property, traffic control and
delivery of general services. A development framework was given, based on
three dimensions: engaging the public, reviewing work process, and
standardizing the investigation system. This gave rise to the project: Police
Station Reform for the Civil Society.
In 2007, the RTP selected a relatively well equipped police station with
outstanding performance in terms of service awards as a pilot of the new reform
project. Bukkhalo Police Station, led by Police Colonel Visal Phanmani, the
station chief, would be the site of experiments to identify novel and effective
forms of service delivery under the specified framework. During project
implementation of 2007-2010, the station continuously increased public
satisfaction, and achieved the targets of all Key Performance Indicators under
the four identified problems. It now serves as a development model for all of the
1,459 police stations throughout Thailand.
Stakeholders in service delivery of the station may be classified in
accordance with the four problem areas:
Bukkhalo Police Station
1) Justice administration: victims, suspects, relatives, witnesses,
prosecutors, the courts of justice and police. The officer responsible for
this issue is the Deputy Superintendent for Investigation. He heads the
investigation team in identifying techniques and strategies for service
delivery, such as one-stop service, effective and efficient service, and
service-minded delivery.
2) Protection of life and property: the general public and the police. The
officer in charge is the Deputy Superintendent for Crime Prevention
and Suppression. His team maintains the safety of public life and
property and searches for optimum service delivery models and security
systems. A collaborative network is created among communities,
households, temples, schools and government agencies to solve crimes in
communities. A CCTV system is used to monitor and review patrolmen’s
performance and prevent crimes at dangerous or risky spots. A
Geographic Information System is deployed to follow up on each
community operations as required by KPIs.
3) Traffic control: road users, drivers and pedestrians, the general public and
the traffic police. The officer in charge is the Deputy Superintendent
for Traffic. His team identifies techniques and methods to deliver better
services and reduce road accidents. Traffic volunteers are recruited from
the local community to assist traffic police with the help of CCTV to ease
traffic congestions during rush hours.
4) General services delivery: victims, suspects, the general public and the
police. It is the responsibility of the Inspector for General Staff and his
team to identify ways to deliver more convenient and efficient services to
the public by reducing time in half. Public involvement through
feedbacks provides information necessary for improvement

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The Objective:
The objective is to develop a police station which is public service
oriented, develops a relationship with the community they serve, using police
station activities, technology and involving the community in all key services
until public satisfaction is obtained. The successful model will be replicated
nationwide.
The Strategies:
A Strategy Map identifies desirable strategies and outcomes for station
development. Guidelines on how to develop police force, police stations,
technologies and premises are introduced.
• Implementation: Every police officer has to change his /her mindset,
attitudes and values towards service, and operational methods, starting
with the station chief, his team, down to every station personnel. The
following activities are meant to create staff confidence:
Building mental health through training and
activities that instills in personnel integrity, ethical
behavior, esprit de corps, and dedication.
Building physical health through sports,
community services, recreations and other unityenhancing
activities.
Establishing commitment to project objectives
through directions and targets setting.
Bukkhalo Police Station
An Engagement Model is adopted to mobilize participation, and to
enhance joint problem-solving with the community. The result is a
synergy of cultural and social forces that works more effectively towards
a common goal.
Implementation :
Bukkhalo Police Station serves as the hub of
development activities to be joined by an alliance
of networks (communities, households, temples,
schools and government agencies).
The main strategy is to create mutual sacrifice for
the common good, inherent in Thai cultural and
social values.
The public are engaged in social and police
development work and help solve service-related
problems of the station.
A Service Excellence Avenue (SEA) Model is adopted to create
positive impression on public by achieving excellence in service delivery
on the basis of selfless dedication within the station.
• Implementation: The station chief and his strategic team, with input from
station personnel, draw up a service manual and blueprint, based on
internal services: justice administration and general services; and external
services: protection of life and property and traffic control.
Outcomes Mapping is used to monitor and evaluate project
development activities. This result-based approach aims to create public
satisfaction in the four services. Continuous improvement is carried out,
based on feedbacks from the public,
Bukkhalo Police Station
• Implementation:
The strategic team and station personnel determine
key indicators to assess public satisfaction with the
four aspects of station services. There are indicators
for outcome, output and process to be monitored on
a daily, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual
basis.
Feedbacks and surveys on satisfaction and
dissatisfaction of public and internal evaluation are
used to improve quality of services continuously.
The team uses service innovations to overcome red
tape. While lessons learned are used to improve
internal operations, benchmarking with other
agencies of excellence, contribute towards a project
achievement.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
When Bukkhalo Police station was given the mandate of undertaking
police station reform, activities began in 2007. It took them three years to prove
that their method works and can be replicated.
In 2007: The Bukkhalo Police Station drafted and refined the new
system, trained officers, improved the station to meet new demands, and worked
to ensure cooperation of their local community through various joint activities.
First the Station Chief, strategic team, and all station police held a
workshop to set up the police station development format. The following
steps helped them prepare themselves for reform:
They began with developing readiness in officers in the following areas:
• Mindset: Cultivating values of fairness, morality, dedication, sacrifice,
for the benefit of the public who are recipients of their services. There
were joint events/activities with partners in the community such as
attending religious functions, performing social benefit and volunteer
activities together.
• Building physical strength: Improving physical health and practicing
police tactics, and performing recreational activities to build unity and
teamwork once a week.
• Developing skills and capabilities: Surveying public needs led to a
detailed operations manual for satisfaction oriented service.
• Creating and modifying service culture: The police must view the
public as members of their own family to whom they offer service and
protection.
Bukkhalo Police Station
The station was spruced up to create “customer friendly” atmosphere while
officers practiced the SEA model to achieve service excellence.
Next the Bukkhalo station worked on the “Engagement Model” where the
police, communities, temples, schools, households and government
departments work together as partners in volunteer activities in a friendly
manner. With the relationship set it became easier to involve communities as
partners in police station reform, to participate in every aspect of the reform
through feed-backs and evaluation.
Outcome mapping was designed and implemented to ensure every process
gets evaluated on a continuous basis with changes made where necessary.
In 2008: Strategies were refined and developed further. A work manual
was developed for well-defined approaches. A work plan for communication
throughout the station was launched. Quality improvement of service delivery is
based on lessons learned. Monitoring and evaluation are carried out in an
integrated and cross-functional manner. Better project results were recorded at
year-end.
In 2009: Focus was on strengthening partnership alliances. Unity was
achieved through Thai cultural and social capital according to principles of the
Engagement Model. Project performance registered higher public satisfaction.
Thailand now has a police station reform method that has been proven to
achieve all it has set out to do.
In 2010: The Commissioner-General issued a policy whereby all 1,459
police stations throughout the kingdom are expected to replicate the Bukkhalo
Police Station’s achievement and experimentation model.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
Major obstacles were overcome in the following ways:
1. People problems involve police capacity, capability and culture.
Capacity
• Shortage of investigating officers and patrolmen was alleviated by
assigning junior officers to assist investigating officers. Crime
prevention efforts were reinforced by community policing where
networks of volunteers and community members help in traffic
control, home visits and patrolling.
• Lack of incentives for policemen to keep required standards. Police
were encouraged by recognition and welfare benefits. They were
trained in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) which takes
into account customers’ needs and expectations.
Capability
• Shortage of educated and qualified staff is overcome by training in
service delivery skills and deployment of KPIs in assessing their
performance.
• Negative attitude towards service to the public, including vulnerable
groups like minority or youth and women, is changed by paradigm
shift training. The public must be protected like police’s own family.
• Uneven quality of services has been rectified by introduction of
service quality standards, constantly improved and updated.
• Lack of quality management was overcome by introduction of quality
planning, control and improvement.
Bukkhalo Police Station
Culture
• Lack of teamwork was corrected through unity-enhancing activities
in station operations.
• Police patronizing attitude toward citizens were changed by training
the police to understand people-centered paradigm in station
development following the motto “Police must serve and protect
public like their own family.”
• Lack of initiative among police officers who follow orders slavishly.
They are encouraged to propose creative solutions and innovations
for public service. Achievements are assessed and recognized by
awards.
2. Process
• Lack of comprehensive assessment of services has been overcome
by the creation of Key Performance Indicators.
• Lack of proactive development of crime prevention and suppression
was addressed by shifting focus from arrest to customers’ and
community participation. Members of the public undergo training in
volunteerism and social responsibility in crime suppression. Projects
are launched to create better relationship among police,
communities, households, temples, schools and government
agencies. Better services are provided by queuing system, more
staff, adopting online communication, better managing and making
use of customer complaints, continuous improvement of operation
procedures, and learning from best practices.
Bukkhalo Police Station
3. Money and Material
Shortage of budget and equipment for station operations was
overcome by support from local administrative organizations,
communities, allied networks and other agencies that recognized the
dedication of police force.
4. Public
• Lack of social and traffic discipline in members of the public was
addressed by training and awareness-raising campaigns on law and
order, benefits of discipline and reduction in road accidents.
• Public indifference to police work was overcome by encouraging
active participation through campaigns and public relations. People
now consider themselves police partners in crime prevention.
Police are public members while the public are the first police
officers.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Both the police and public sector have been mobilized in project
implementation. Every police officer in the project had to be readied for
implementation of new approach by being trained in justice
administration, protection of life and property, traffic control and general
services. This included consideration of the vulnerable groups like
children, young women, minorities and youth who gets special legal
counsel. Volunteers from the public sector are also trained for active
community policing, traffic assistance and offering comments on police
station service improvements.
2. Financial Resources
Regular budget has been used in the project to begin with. Later
funds are contributed by the private sector to support the improvement all
four aspects of service. For examples, the general services that require
physical improvement of the station environment, both inside and outside
was funded by local community administration and fund raising
activities. The contributions were used for the one-stop service area and
other facilities, including communication equipments and training for
station personnel.
Bukkhalo Police Station
Funds are also required for justice administration in forensics
training, and assistance for the underprivileged, women and juveniles
who need legal counsel. In times of natural disasters, Bukkhalo Police
Station has been a center for emergency relieve activities with assistance
from public foundations and associations.
3. Technical Resources
Modern technologies such as communication network, GIS, and
CCTV are required for crime prevention and suppression and traffic
control. In addition to hardware, the station has applied management
tools/techniques for various stages of development and implementation.
These include 5S to improve workplace and operational efficiency.
Strategy Map, Outcomes Mapping, and Balanced Scorecard were used to
assure the achievement of strategic objectives and to balance the
stakeholders’ requirements. Police Officers are trained in public
relationship management (CRM). Teams of police officers, will visit
communities once a week to learn of their concerns and needs. The
station also conducts benchmarking to determine best practices for
accelerated improvement.
Bukkhalo Police Station
4. Values Resources
1) Cultural capital that includes time-honored traditions, and
values as manifested in service delivery excellence; for
example, serving customers as if they were family members or
relatives, resulting in love and affection that needs no financial
capital. This includes working with compassion for the
juveniles, elderly, disabled and distressed young women.
2) Social capital that includes mutual trust, networks of faith that
create efficiently functioning society where cooperation is
assured in various public undertakings. People rely on one
another for assistance, a source of synergy of all pro bono
sacrifices.
3) Organizational capital within the police station where capable
and well-intentioned personnel join hands in development work.
The initiative has been able to integrate these four resources
successfully through four levels of improvement process:
• Improving the process holistically by a paradigm shift in
mindset, modus operandi and attitude;
• Adopting Thai cultural and social values for service delivery
improvement ;
• Distinguishing the new service from the old through a shift
in focus; and
• Delivering a better service through a well-tuned work
process.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The pilot project of Bukkhalo Police Station has a conceptual framework
that can be implemented, and a built-in evaluation process that makes it a
successful prototype for other police stations nationwide. The following
principles ensure its sustainability:
1) Project guideline, procedure, and manual were issued at the outset
and followed by every officer at the station.
2) Station officers underwent a training to understand the practice of
good services, positive work attitude and ethics. A service-oriented
culture was created and has since been maintained.
3) An internal audit was instituted for the four aspects of services. It is
monitored and evaluated systematically through various indicators,
on a daily, monthly, quarterly, biannual and annual basis. A
monitoring committee was set up with community participation to
follow up on police work, thus ensuring people’s input in solving
service-related problems of the station.
Bukkhalo Police Station
4) Risk assessment and analysis was carried out to prevent errors in the
four aspects of services, including --
• Strategic risks: to prevent errors in proactive conceptualization
which may not be consistent with certain strategies/vision or
errors that may arise from strategies that lack public participation
in their conceptualization.
• Operational risks: to prevent mistakes in service delivery, for
lack of manpower, fund, technology or innovation, which may
adversely affect operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Emergency risks: to prevent and prepare for natural disasters and
other emergencies.
• Financial / reporting risks: to prevent mistakes in delivering
financial services, or in inefficient reporting.
• Legal/regulatory risks: to prevent errors in compliance with laws
and regulations, caused by their being ambiguous, outdated or
incomplete.
5) Public participation has been developed from the roots of Thai
culture where families and communities become actively involved
in police work. They form networks and alliances and provide
input in several projects and activities from their conception,
implementation, to evaluation and utilization, including such
projects as Community Policing, Do not drink while intoxicated,
Thinking Before Losing Your Way, and Strengthening Community.
These networks and alliances ensure sustainability of the initiative.
People feel the sense of ownership of the station development and
the resulting common good compels them to participate in police
work with dedication and selfless sacrifice.
Bukkhalo Police Station
The reform at Bukkhalo Police Station has been chosen as the model to
be replicated in all 1,459 police stations throughout the kingdom. The
Commissioner-General issued a policy in 2010 to the effect that the adoption of
the Bukkhalo model be completed within three years.
To translate the policy into practice, the annual action plan of the RTP
has incorporated strategies and roadmap for implementation with emphasis on
individual adaptation in each locality. Project activities include: on-site
training on paradigm shift and service-related culture, internal and external
evaluation through indicators, the use of Information Technology, study visits
of successful models, service delivery clinics in Bangkok and the provinces.
Ultimately, it is expected that every officer will come to accept the
benefit and viability of the reform with the common good being the ultimate
goal.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
1. Committed leadership is an essential factor contributing to the success
of such a development project. In order to ensure cooperation from every police
officer, the station chief has to be a role model, result-oriented, and driven by
determination and dedication.
2. The police force must be ready and committed to change attitude and
improve physical strength and skills to provide higher service performances.
This can be accomplished with commitment of the leaders to the well-being of
police force and personnel.
3. Focus should be given through one-stop service with efficient process
and service-mindedness to ensure public satisfaction. In order to achieve
excellence, a result-based management is needed to measure process, output and
outcome.
4. The Information Technology will improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Hence, the police force can be reduced while increasing public satisfaction.
5. The cultural dimension of the conceptual framework provides a solid
basis for sustainable development and is conducive to the introduction of further
change. Public participation is crucial to the success of the pilot project.
6. Performance indicators must be continuously monitored and
improved if needed to ensure the achievement of initiatives.
7. Benchmarking with a successful organization or persons or learning
from best practices enables our agency to leapfrog to success.
Bukkhalo Police Station
A string of awards has earned a well-deserved fame for Bukkhalo Police
Station and is one of the reasons why it was chosen as the pilot station for
reform in the first place. The station was recognized for its outstanding
community relations by the RTP, in 1991, 1995, 2004 and 2006. During project
years, the station earned nine more awards, two of which were given by Office
of the Public Sector Development Commission:
• Best Police Station Award, under the Project on Developing Police
Stations for the People for the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 from the
Metropolitan Police Bureau in conjunction with the Royal Thai Police.
• Outstanding Metropolitan Police Station Award for 2007-2008, from
Dusit Rotary Club in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police Bureau;
• Excellent Quality Service Delivery to the People Award, for the years
2008, 2009 from Office of the Public Sector Development Commission;
• Excellent Police Officers Award for 2008 under the Project on
Developing Service Delivery to the People, from the Association of
Crime Reporters and Photographers of Thailand;
• Outstanding Police Station in Administration and General Services, for
2008-2009, from Dusit Rotary Club in conjunction with the Metropolitan
Police Bureau:
- In protection of life and property;
- In traffic control.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Office of the Public Sector Development Commission
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Dr. Thosaporn Sirisumphand
Title:   Secretary-General  
Telephone/ Fax:   + (66) 2 356 999
Institution's / Project's Website:   + (66) 2 281 8169
E-mail:   bukkalopolicestation@hotmail.com  
Address:   59 Pitsanuloke Rd, Dusit District
Postal Code:   10300
City:   Bangkok
State/Province:   Bangkok
Country:   Thailand

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