Political Influence and Intervention in the Justice Procedure in the Investigation of the Police in One of Provincial Police of Provincial Police Region 4

Abstract

This study aims at: 1) understanding the pattern and method of political power interference within the police office’s criminal case investigation; 2) exploring the effective factors of the political power interference within the justice system at an investigation level; and 3) seeking the guide to prevent the interference within the police officer’s investigation. A group of the participants was selected by purposive sampling and the researcher assigned 30 of them as the key informant including: 1) 15 inquiry officers (executive and operational levels) at Ro-Et Provincial Police Station; 2) 15 investigating police officers with 5 criminal cases. These participants were required to take an in-depth interview.
The results were found that: 1) the political power and influence within the police officer’s investigation system has been passed through a direct commanding hierarchy, personal communication, and gaps in the laws. Most of the cases were personally involved with a conflict between a politician and citizen in which the power could be used directly or as an order through the commanding officers or other groups of fellows to either force or ask the inquiry officers to clear up the case or reconcile with the other party; 2) the effective factors and purpose of the powerful politicians to interfere with the police officer’s investigation is to make the case favorable for themselves and strengthen the root of their popularity so that they could maintain their political power in a long term; therefore, these powerful people could somehow give either advantage or disadvantage since they own the power to relocate or promote the officers; and 3) the guide to keep away the political power from the police officer’s investigation is an organizational reformation in which each section should be clearly separated from one another including the central section responsible for the arrests around the country, regional section directly working for the provincial governor. In term of the manpower, there is a shortage of the investigating staffs e.g. the inquiry officers, assistant inquiry officers, and investigating officer. Besides, some of the officers are not keen at the laws reinforcement and investigation process so they need more training to enhance their mastery and accuracy at work.