Police Decentralization: A Study of Police Officers' Attitudes in Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

The objectives of this study were threefold: first, to examine the attitudes of police officers in Khon Kaen Province toward decentralization of police functions to local administration organizations (LAOs); second, to explore problems that hinder decentralization of police functions; and, third, to derive policy implications for restructuring the relations of the police and local administration organizations. The sample was 358 police officers who were randomly chosen by proportionate stratified sampling technique. The research instrument was a survey questionnaire with close- and open-ended questions.

Findings show that most respondents oppose the proposition of transferring police functions to LAOs: the most disapproved proposition is transferring investigation functions, and the least disapproved was traffic functions.   If police functions were to be transferred to LAOs, most respondents would prefer them being transferred to provincial administration organizations.  Even though respondents perceived LAOs as having budgetary capacity to provide for police services, they have the attitudes that local personnel lack technical knowledge to supervise and carry out police services, and that local politicians are untrustworthy. To enhance the relations of the police and LAOs, there should be collaboration mechanisms between the police and LAOs based on the concept of network governance, as well as inclusive citizen participation in police administration for the police to be more responsive to local residents’ needs.