National Police chief Sar Thet addresses a meeting of department heads on January 2. National Police
In a move to combat the rising tide of online scams, particularly affecting rural populations, the National Police have issued a mandate urging a comprehensive enhancement of capabilities among police officials to effectively align with the evolving challenges of the digital age.
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National Police chief Sar Thet aimed the directive at all department heads, units and police stations across the country during his chair of a January 2 meeting focused on the inclusion of key measures in the Digital
Economy and Society Policy Framework 2021-35 and the Financial Technology Development Policy 2023-28.
Thet said that when people fell victim to scammers, they often filed complaints with commune police. However, he added that the competence of the officers appeared limited.
“In order for us to gain a better understanding of the management, curbing and investigation of these offences, we must understand technology to facilitate communication with specialised departments and assist one another,” he said.
“We need to acknowledge that our officers have yet to receive training in these areas, leading to numerous problems,” he added.
At the meeting, Thet highlighted that many people had become victims of cybercrimes in Phnom Penh and the provinces of Mondulkiri, Ratanakkiri and Siem Reap.
He said all police officers must strengthen their capabilities to bolster public trust.
Read: Draft cybercrime law nearing completion
“Once our officers receive the training and are capable of preventing, curbing and cracking down on crime, they can explain the tricks and scams of criminals to the populace. By managing crime effectively, we can suppress other offences successfully,” he said.
The National Police have also resolved to establish a digital government working group for information and communication technology (ICT) within its structure.
The group will be tasked with collaborating nationally and internationally to implement and disseminate digital approaches. They are also responsible for building strategic action plans and managing, monitoring, updating and supervising the technology-based work of the National Police.
Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesperson Sam Vichheka said on January 3 that when high-level instructions are issued, municipal police chief Chuon Narin conveys the instructions to specialists to keep them informed and prepared to follow through.
He noted that the municipal police have assisted many individuals who have fallen victim to online scammers.
Am Sam Ath, operations director at rights group LICADHO, told The Post that current digital system are more modern and thus police officers require additional training in the technology to keep pace with it and effectively crack down on offences such as cybercrime and online scams.
“We have observed many internet-related offences, such as online loans and extortion. Many of our people have fallen victim to these scammers, so police officers must identify the offenders to bring them to justice,” he said.
