Police protest over high-ranking officer's transfer embarrasses Chalerm

“The reward for being a good cop, responding to government policy, is to be transferred,” read one of the group’s signs.
While Chalerm was delivering an anti-drug policy speech to officials at Provincial Hall, officers from various police stations submitted a list of the names of police, military officials, kamnan and village heads who opposed the reassignment of Col Thithat Imthua, deputy provincial police chief, to an inactive post.
Other placards read, “National agenda lacks implementation because good cops are kicked out of bandits’ way” and “Nakhon Phanom police, who crack down on drugs and illegal logging, rescue dogs being smuggled out of the country, get transferred.’’ Chalerm’s face reportedly dropped after seeing the signs. He cut short questions from reporters about the demonstration, saying he had no idea.
He said the man in question was transferred to Khon Kaen, which was a big province.
Kamsawan Bunthiam, a village head, said he had worked beside Thithat in suppressing drugs and illegal logging and did not understand why he was removed.
Kam Choomchai, 47, a police volunteer, said he wanted to ask Chalerm why the government issued a policy but did the opposite thing. He said Thithat told him the superintendent of Sri Songkram Police Station, Col Watcharin Kullasing, was also sent packing.
Nakhon Phanom police had arrested thousands of drug suspects over the last six months to enforce the government’s policy but now they were confused and feared being replaced, he said.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, police are checking videos from the nearly 350 cellphones seized during a prison-wide search last week to
look for clues in drug dealing by inmates.
More than 10 individuals have already been identified, said Colonel Phoodis Norrasing, deputy provincial police chief, without mentioning if some of them were guards.
Evidence has been found from information extracted so far from some handsets, personal notes written on scraps of paper and videos. The video clips appeared to show inmates openly abusing all kinds of drugs in their cells, while suggesting other activities linked to the purchase of war weapons by the convicts or their relatives during prison visits.
Police and prison guards will meet again at 1pm today to discuss further steps and investigation methods while reporting the progress of their work to superiors, Phoodis said.