Complaints against purse snatchers that keep rolling into Thong Lor police station have prompted officers to adopt a fresh approach to solve the problem.
Pol Lt Col Chirakrit Charunphat has seen so many such crimes along Soi Thong Lor that he came up with an idea to break the unpleasant trend. Instead of more serious crackdowns on the thieves, he believes communication with potential victims will have a better impact.
Police crackdowns alone, which have been going on for years, cannot put an end to the crime. But this latest tool, a 3.35-minute video clip, is believed to help people become more aware of the risk of being targeted by these thieves.
Pol Lt Col Chirakrit took a break from his regular police routine to assume the role of a film director and script writer to create the short clip. It must be attention-grabbing and, at the same time, able to deliver the message.
The deputy Thong Lor police chief based the story on the accounts of detained suspects who unveiled their tricks to grab valuables from victims under many circumstances ranging from walking or standing to eating.
Contact Crime Track: crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th.
The cases are made interesting by using actors and actresses to help visualise the crime with a thrilling score.
Aimed as a message presented through an artistic film aimed to awaken its audience, the video clip uses sights, sounds and accounts from detained thieves to tip off viewers to the dangers.
"Those who watch it can protect their assets to some extent," Pol Lt Col Chirakrit said, encouraging people to spend a few minutes viewing the clip tiled "Change If You Don't Want to Fall Prey," which has been posted on YouTube.
This does not mean police will let people solely deal with the problem.
Officers are still committed to their duty to preventing the crime, but in case of purse snatchers at Soi Thong Lor, people's help is crucial.
Soi Thong Lor, or Sukhumvit 55, is home to upscale restaurants and chic cafes where the wealthy hang out for gastronomic experiences. This makes the area attractive for thieves too.
According to victims' complaints, expensive bags hanging casually off on a girl's shoulder are easily pulled away by a pillion rider on a motorbike.
A look at one's smart phone to check social media applications while walking or standing on a roadside offers an opportunity to snatchers on a motorcycle to make off with the device in a split second.
"Bag snatches in Thong Lor occur almost every day," said Pol Lt Col Chirakrit, deputy chief for investigation at Thong Lor station.
"We can't end them. There must be at least three or four cases a week."
Victims are not limited only to those walking along Soi Thong Lor.
(VDO uploaded by Head Shot Creation)
Even pedestrians who are relatively less affluent and eat at food stalls on footpaths in nearby areas are at risk.
A thief can snatch a victim's valuables left on the table while its owner enjoys some food, and then runs to a waiting motorcycle.
''It all takes place in a split second.''
These cases have been gathered by Thong Lor police investigators after they analysed the behaviour of the thieves. Their acts display certain patterns.
A good thing of the patterns is they allow officers to predict similar take-and-go acts that can recur in the future.
But how will this knowledge be introduced to people who are not familiar with the crime?
So comes Pol Lt Col Chirakrit's idea of making the video clip.
If people understand the message police want to communicate, chances of seeing them exposed to the thefts will decrease, Pol Lt Col Chirakrit hopes.
Police crackdowns on purse snatchers alone only help relieve the problem as their numbers hardly will reduce as long as the Thong Lor area attracts well-to-do eaters and shoppers.
In his view, a change to this unwanted trend should also begin with "a change in people's behaviour".
Contact Crime Track: crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th