Thalang Police Chief Col Sompong Tipapakul and his officers carried out an emergency response drill at 2pm as part of officers ongoing training.
It was decided to use a robbery at the Family Mart in Baan Lipon in this exercise as the convenience store has been robbed twice recently.
It was hoped that the exercise would not only assist police officers in their attempts to reduce crime in the area but also the store’s staff in how to react in such an incident.
Col Sompong said, “The simulated robbery is based on the scenario of two suspects arriving at the store on a motorbike. One suspect, armed with a pistol went inside and carried out a robbery. The suspects then sped away on the motorbike.
“Officers located at the station were alerted of the robbery via an emergency button located in the store and also by a phone call made by a local resident who witnessed the incident,” he said.
“The officers then notified their superior of the robbery before alerting police in the area to be on the lookout for the two suspects based on the descriptions given,” he added.
Responding officers followed procedures and checked all CCTV coverage from the nearby area to help them find the suspects.
A pursuit team led by Lt Col Prasan Toworn and Lt Preecha Rakchan were then able to apprehend the suspects within a short period of time.
Col Sompong said that the exercise was a success because officers understood and followed procedures, and also because local residents helped provide important information about the suspects and their escape route.
“Most important of all, officers got to learn how to use modern technology to help identify and find the suspects,” he concluded.