Police Chief's Leadership Opens Force to Public Partnership

A policy adviser emphasizes the National Police Commissioner's approach to public engagement, laying out a strategy for a modern police force with civilians as safety partners to rebuild public confidence.

On August 15, 2025, Asst. Prof. Dr. Napdol Kannika, a member of the National Police Policy Committee representing civil society and chair of the public participation subcommittee, discussed progress on the Community Police Volunteer program for proactive policing alongside the public. Throughout his time working with the National Police Office and observing the leadership of National Police Commissioner General Kittarat Panpetch, he has seen one clear principle: the commissioner's leadership is not measured only by decisiveness, but by how effectively he aligns an organization of over 200,000 personnel in one direction, opens the police to public collaboration, retains good people, addresses wrongdoing, and makes citizens feel they are part of the National Police Office.

From his experience, he has witnessed many qualities in General Kittarat that he never expected to see at this level in the police system before. There is a shift in perception: from "police acting on the public" to "police working with the public."

The first observable change is the genuine opening of space for public participation in police operations. This is significant because the police force has a clear command structure and strong organizational culture and internal systems. Allowing outsiders to collaborate, offer input, ask questions, and help design policy requires both confidence and openness from leadership. What he has observed is that the Police Commissioner is positioning the public as "safety partners." This is taking concrete form in developing the Community Police Volunteer network for community security. The National Police Office's directive clearly outlines the goal: to educate the public about their role in community care, reduce the gap between police and civilians, and create opportunities for public participation in crime prevention. General Kittarat personally signed this directive.

This is meaningful change because police cannot be present everywhere 24/7. Instead, Thailand can develop citizens who observe, report, prevent, and know when to involve professional police. It is not about making civilians into police officers, but about creating "mutual safety partners between police and the public." Good leaders must address wrongdoers firmly while ensuring good people are not left unsupported.

Another critical dimension is people management. The police force employs many officers working in the field under difficult conditions, yet their good work often goes unreported. Leaders must do two things simultaneously: decisively and swiftly address police misconduct, while also protecting morale and recognizing the contributions of officers who perform well.

Integrity and transparency in personnel management are equally important. If we want clean-handed police, we must start with a clean-handed system of administration. If positions are seen as gained through money, commitment to reform will falter.