Officers of the Metropolitan Police Bureau arrested 1,277 criminal suspects and seized 25,169 methamphetamine pills and 2.119 kilograms of crystal meth during the seven-day crime suppression period for New Year holidays.

Pol Maj-General Phanurat Lakboon, deputy commissioner of the bureau, said police stepped up crime suppression from December 28 to January 3 and netted 1,277 suspects in various cases.

Phanurat said 83 suspects were arrested in physical assault and sex cases, 107 suspects in robbery cases, 20 suspects in human trafficking cases, 38 suspects in firearm cases, and 1027 suspects in drugs cases as well as two suspects in illegal loans cases.

During the operations, police also seized 32 guns and 245 rounds of ammunition, he added.

The December 29, 2017 announcement from the Public Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Office was widely circulated throughout social media this week, as people asked whether the measures were absurd, particularly singling out the phone-charging ban.

The announcement, signed by Dr Jessada Chokdamrongsuk, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said it would enforce the following regulations among all of its officers:

– all officers are forbidden from using any of the authorities’ equipment for personal use

– no officer may charge their private mobile phones at work

– any private use of the office’s vehicles is banned

– private vehicles may not be parked overnight in the office’s parking lots

– private vehicles may not be washed at the office.

The announcement cited the necessity of tackling corruption within the authority and preventing officers from improperly take personal advantage by using the authorities’ property.

According to the announcement, those who violate these rules will be guilty of disciplinary offences and will have to face punishment matching the offence.

The memo also reminded executives of the ministry of their duty to set a good example for their subordinates and encouraged them to strictly enforce the new rules.

In September 2016, a strict anti-corruption bill, with similar rules including a ban on private phone-charging at work, was proposed by deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam. As of last August, the bill had been approved by the Cabinet and the process of drafting the laws was underway.

The “Depress We Care” website was launched at the Police General Hospital by hospital director, Pol Lt-General Withoon Nitiwarangkul, along with Pol Maj-General Pornpen Bunnag, head of the Psychiatry Department.

Withoon said the website was aimed at counselling depressed police officers and their families.

Withoon said Police Commissioner-General Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda had ordered the hospital to launch the website out of his concern for police officers and their families.

A hotline at 081-932000 was also opened for depressed officers or their family members to call on an around-the-clock basis.

A team of psychologists and psychiatrists will be on standby to provide advice to police officers and their families.

Withoon said an average 50 officers committed suicide yearly due to depression – a ratio of 19 out of every 100,000 officers.

He said the hospital provided counselling to 1,980 police officers, their family members and general people who have depression from 2015 to 2017 – 479 in 2015, 640 in 2016 and 861 in 2017.

Pol Maj-General Pongkwan Yimsa-ard, a psychiatrist at the hospital, said 170 police officers sought help from the hospital last year after feeling depressed.

In case of emergency and assistance needed, Thais could contact the office through its hotline at Tel 646-842-0864.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency as a major winter storm brings heavy snow and winds to the Tri-State area.

The governor said the state of emergency would be in effect for Westchester County, New York City and Long Island.

“Snow is one thing. We can handle snow. It’s snow plus the wind which is going to cause the trouble today,” he said. “The situation is going to get worse as the day goes on.”