Cute Kitty Is Pink Badge of Shame in Bangkok (3)

1 Name: Unverified Source : 2007-08-08 22:18 ID:da3HNXbo

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/world/asia/08thai.html?_r=1&ref=asia&oref=slogin

Cute Kitty Is Pink Badge of Shame in Bangkok

By SETH MYDANS
Published: August 8, 2007

BANGKOK, Aug. 7 —

It is the pink armband of shame for wayward police officers, as cute as it can be, with a Hello Kitty face and a pair of linked hearts. If an officer parks in the wrong place, comes to work late or drops a bit of litter, that officer would be decorated with an armband depicting Hello Kitty, the Japanese symbol of cuteness, no matter how many ribbons for valor he may already wear.

“Simple warnings no longer work,” said Pongpat Chayaphan, acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division here, who instituted the humiliation this week.

“This new twist is expected to make them feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offense, no matter how minor,” he said. “Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It’s not something macho police officers want covering their biceps.”

Ten armbands have been prepared, but none had been issued by Tuesday, said an officer who declined to give his name while discussing this delicate topic.

“After this policy came out, the police are scared,” he said. “It will be very embarrassing to walk around with Hello Kitty on your arm.”

Mr. Pongpat was promoted to lead the division three months ago. He has trained with the American Secret Service and the Canadian police, and says he wants to modernize his force, “even though we lack the highest technology, equipment and mind-set.”

An aide, Maj. Weeraprach Wonrat, said the chief was a believer in behavioral science. Pink armbands for misdemeanors are a start. Stronger measures could be next for corruption and other more serious infractions.

An early experiment in armbands was not encouraging.

At first, Mr. Pongpat tried tartan. Ten tartan armbands were issued. But instead of feeling shame, Major Weeraprach said, the officers took the bands home as souvenirs.

Commanders met to reconsider the strategy, he said, and agreed that Hello Kitty might work where tartan had failed.

So far there is no fallback plan, he said. The department has not yet decided what punishment to impose if officers make off with their pink armbands as well.

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