As someone whoÂ’s never had a job in law enforcement, my knowledge of how rule-breaking police officers are dealt with by their superiors has been gleaned from the world of movies and TV. I can only assume that when a cop crosses the line, they first get yelled at by an irascible chief or sergeant or older balding and/or moustached guy. Then if they donÂ’t throw their badge and gun down on a desk and storm out to take the law into their own hands, they get shipped off to California or kindergarten, get paired up with a staid veteran cop of a different race whoÂ’s this close to retiring, or get taken off the road and put on permanent radio duty.
It was quite shocking to discover exact how harsh the penalties can be when real-life police officers decide to bend the rules. Officers in Bangkok, ThailandÂ’s Crime Suppression Division who show up to work late, park in the wrong spot, or receive complaints from civilians will now be forced to wear a bright pink Hello Kitty armband on their uniforms. Or in the words of acting CSD Chief Pongpat Chayaphan:
"Simple warnings no longer work. This new twist is expected to make them feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offense, no matter how minorÂ…Hello Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It's not something macho police officers want covering their biceps"
Because what could possibly go wrong when you make a gun-toting macho cop feel guilty and ashamed while questioning his masculinity by comparing him to a little girl?
If youÂ’re concerned that people who stop by a Bangkok police station might be a little confused about the meaning of the new armband and think that Sanrio is sponsoring another military coup, donÂ’t worry. Any cop whoÂ’s ordered to wear the armband isnÂ’t allowed to tell anyone why theyÂ’re wearing it. Or as Pongpat explains:
”Guilty officers will be made to wear the armbands in the office for a few days, with instructions not to disclose their offences. Let people guess what they have done"
If the Hello Kitty armbands fail to solve their discipline problems, IÂ’m hoping that the Bangkok police department will also take their cues from cop movies and consider replacing their all-too-flawed human officers with the future of super-cute law enforcement: Hello Kitty robots.
Vidalia said:
And then there are the cops who have been secretly wearing hello kitty accessories in their own homes for years. And they are... delighted!
Vidalia said:
And then there are the cops who have been secretly wearing hello kitty accessories in their own homes for years. And they are... delighted!
Well, can you blame them? I mean, who wants to have to wear a "Hello Kitty" armband? (sarcasm)
I would rather have my bare ass beaten with a rattan cane.....of course, I usually pay an extra $75 for that.
Oh, in case anyone's wondering what the official Bangkok Crime Suppression Division Hello Kitty armband looks like, here's a picture, courtesy of the Bangkok Post:
Uncognitive
Brooklyn, NY
May 2003
AUG 06, 2007 04:04 PM