Singapore Police Force: Difference between revisions

The Singapore Police Force (Abbreviation: SPF; Malay: Polis Repablik Singapura; Chinese: 新加坡警察部队) is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Also known commonly as Pasukan Polis Singapura in Malay, it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 37,839 strong force credited for helping to arrest Singapore's civic unrests and lawlessness in its early years, and maintaining the low crime rate today.

The headquarters is currently located in a block at New Phoenix Park in Novena, adjacent to a twin block occupied by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Singapore Police Force has a heritage almost as old as that of modern Singapore, having been formed in 1819 with a skeleton force of 11 men under the command of Francis James Bernard, son-in-law of William Farquhar, and kept in operation with a monthly budget of $300. Manpower constraints meant that the men had to perform a wide range of roles, and required the help of headmen amongst the various ethnic communities to maintain orderliness on the streets, all the more possible as the communities lived in segregated areas around the city.

This partnership with the community was in line with Sir Stamford Raffles' vision of a thriving colony largely self-regulated by local social structures, with the British masters administrating it via indirect rule. The large influx of migrants from China, however, began to test this system when the hands-off approach by the British allowed secret societies in Singapore to thrive. Although originally formed with legal intentions of community bonding and the provision of assistance to fellow migrants, these societies gradually became influential, competitive, and increasingly engaged in illegal activities including monetary extortion from the masses, the operation of gambling dens, and the smuggling of illegal goods on top of more legal commercial operations to meet their financial needs.

Competition gradually heated up between large rival factions, such as that between the larger Ghee Hin Kongsi, the Ghee Hock Kongsi and the Han San Kongsi. Murders, mass riots, kidnappings, arson and other serious crimes became commonplace in the next four decades since the colony's founding. Faced with violent acts of crime which may involve thousands, such as the funeral riots of 1846 involving 9000 members from the Ghee Hin and Ghee Hock secret societies, the police force was woefully incapable of bringing the situation under control, and often had to call in the army for assistance. The escalating number of serious crimes prompted the need for stronger legislation to deter would-be criminals. Singapore's first executions were thus held in the wake of the first criminal session in June 1828, when a Chinese and Indian were found guilty and convicted for murder.

Headed by Europeans and predominantly staffed by Malay and Indian officers, the force had little Chinese representation as the military and policing professionals were traditionally shunned by the Chinese community, which therefore impaired policing efforts amongst the large Chinese populace. In 1843, the force comprised of a sitting magistrate doubling up as a superintendent, three European constables and an assistant native constable, 14 officers and 110 policemen. With a total strength of no more than 150 men, the police was compelled to avoid direct intervention in these mass acts of violence, else risking almost total annihilation.

A repeat of this scenario occurred in 1851, when lingering displeasure against Roman Catholic ethnic Chinese erupted into major rioting leaving over 500 Chinese dead. The army was called in again, although it involved having to induct Indian convicts into military service almost overnight. In 1854, twelve consecutive days of violence sparked by a dispute between the Hokkiens and Teochews disrupted trade. This particular incident led to the formation of the military's Singapore Rifle Corps on 8 July 1854, the earliest predecessor of the Singapore Armed Forces' People's Defence Force today.

Criminal violence was not merely in the domain of the ethnic Chinese, however. Rivalries between Malay princes and communities also often result in acts of violence, which prompted the passing of Singapore's first arms law in March 1823 restricting the right to bear arms to 24 of the Malay Sultan's followers. Nearly two centuries later, these anti-arms laws continue to be strictly enforced, resulting in a society relatively free from firearms-related criminal offences.

We pledge to be loyal and true to the Police service and the Republic of Singapore.

We pledge to uphold the law, to protect life and property, to prevent and detect crime.

We pledge to discharge our responsibilities without fear or favour, regardless of race, language and religion.

We pledge to strive for excellence, to be proactive and to exercise initiative in our duties.

We pledge to serve our community and our country and to be courteous and humane in our dealings with every fellowman.

As at 31 March 2005, the total strength of the force stands at 37,839, broken down into the following categories:

• 8001 Regular Officers
• 1255 Civilian Officers
• 3958 Police National Service full-time (PNSF)
• 23461 Police National Servicemen (PNSmen)
• 1164 Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) Officers

Dark blue (or more accurately Dacron blue) is the organisational colour of the Singapore Police Force, and has remained so continuously since 1969, although the first police uniforms introduced in 1856 were also in the same colour.

The earliest law enforcement officers in the fledgling colony of Singapore wore no uniforms, until in 1856, when the Police Force Act was passed and vested full police powers upon the security forces then in existence, paving the way for uniforms to be introduced. The first uniforms were dark blue-coloured serge coats, trousers, cap and black shoes. White trousers are used for ceremonial parades and special duty. This proved unpopular as the thick material was deemed too uncomfortable in the local tropical climate. Thus in 1879, a Commission of Enquiry was formed with the task of evaluating the existing uniform, and in 1890, khaki was formally introduced.

The khaki uniform comprises of a black headdress (locally known as the Songkok), khaki shirt and shorts, black puttees and boots. Strict regulations requiring them to be heavily starched and ironed produced a cardboard-like material which stood out unnaturally. The white gaiters were removed as it was difficult to keep them clean, although they remain part of the ceremonial uniform till 1910. As the Second world war drew to a close in 1945, the khaki uniform was updated with the black beret replacing the Songkok, and completed by grey flannel top, brown khaki shorts, dark blue hosetops, black boots and leather belt, and a navy blue whistle lanyard. This uniform became the sole uniform used throughout the force.

In 1969, dacron blue made a comeback to the uniform with a force-wide change away from khaki. The new uniform comprises of a dark blue peak cap, shirt, trousers, black belt, shoes and socks, and coded whistle lanyard in blue and white. 3 large and 4 small metal buttons, metal collar badges, and a metal cap badge are affixed, and a black plastic name tag completes the uniform. Metallic ranks, if any, are fixed to the sleeve or on the shoulders for senior officers. The lanyard was changed to a metal chain in 1972, and in 1985, the material of the uniform was changed from 75% polyester 25% cotton to 100% polyester for a smarter bearing and turnout.

Derivatives of the standard blue uniform (collectively called the no.3 uniform) was adopted for specialised forces and for all officers in various occasions which calls for more formal or casual attire. The Traffic Police Department was amongst the few to move away from the all-blue attire, adopting a short-sleeved white tunic, dark blue breeches, a black leather Sam Browne belt, and riding boots for its officers performing mobile squad duties. A white crash helmet is worn when on the move, while a new dark blue jockey cap with chequered white and dark blue patterns around its circumference is worn when convenient while performing static duty. Members of the Vigilante Corps are also attired by a white short-sleeved top similar in design to the dark blue version for normal officers, gold-coloured buttons and badges, and a dark blue beret in place of the peak cap.

Combat uniforms has also been adopted for specialist units such as those from the Special Operations Command and the Police Coast Guard (PCG), collectively known as the No.4 uniforms. These involve the replacement of metal buttons with sewn-on plastic ones, the avoidance of all other metallic accruements which are deemed potentially hazardous to the officer or to others and the use of long-sleeved shirts. SOC officers wear combat boots while officers in PCG use lace up leather shoes with non-slip soles. These units also tend to adopt the beret as their headgear, although PCG officers use the baseball cap while on operational duties.

There was no major change to the uniform since then, except for the adoption of embroidered shoulder ranks and badges for all ranks in the 1990s. Other changes are less distinct, such as the upgrading of shoes used, the change of the belt material and belt buckle to one including the police crest, and changes to the peak cap to a more durable and ventilated version.

A series of reviews and changes to the uniforms took place across the various police units from the 2000s onwards. In 2002, the whistle chain was completely removed from all uniforms (except for some uniforms worn by the Gurkha Contingent) in the police force, the National Police Cadet Corps, as well as amongst CISCO officers. The new all-cotton combat uniform for the Police National Service Key Installation Protection Units was introduced in the same year.

Amongst land divisions, the Number 3 uniform (also known as the working dress) was enhanced with the buttons sewn on (instead of using metal rings previously) in 2004, while the name tag was changed from using a metal pin to Velcro for affixing to the uniform. The trousers come with additional side pockets mid-way down the thighs with the main purpose of providing a convenient location for the M-pod, a PDA-sized gadget slated to be launched. Separately, the Police Maternity Dress was also introduced.

For the specialist divisions, the Police Tactical Unit changed their beret from dark blue to red. The combat uniform was also redesigned to a more loose-fitting attire with utility pockets, and the material changed to a cotton-polyester mix which is more durable and fire resistant. The colour of the uniform is also changed to a darker shade of blue for tactical purposes. High-heel boots with gutters were also introduced. The Police Coast Guard introduced a new set of uniforms comprising of a helmet, dark blue polo top and bermudas for officers performing patrolling duties on Pulau Ubin using bicycles. In addition, it is currently reviewing its seafaring combat uniform.

From 30 September 2005, new duty belts made of synthetic leather were introduced force-wide, replacing the former belt made of pure leather. Already in use by officers in Central Police Division on a trial-run basis, the new belt comprises of two layers fastened together by velcro strips, allowing for equipment to be removed with ease and a more comfortable and lighter fit for front-line officers. The belt, together with the handcuff pouch, bullet pouch, T-baton and revolver holster are now personally issued to all regular and full-time police national servicemen. The old leather belts will, however, continue to be in use during non-front line and administrative duties, as well as during appriopriate functions.

A standard rank structure is used throughout the police force, although some ranks may be unique to specific organisations. These ranks are denoted where applicable in the following list, which lists them in ascending seniority:

Police officers in the various divisions are armed when conducting regular uniformed patrols and plainclothes duties. A force-wide change from the Smith & Wesson .38 revolver to the Taurus Model 85 was undertaken in August 2002, featuring a laser sight and a new snatch-resistant holster. A new speedloader was introduced in the same year to replace the old bullet pouch, allowing for quicker reloading of the revolvers and reducing the likelihood of misplaced bullets. In 2001, the Monadnock PR-21 side handle baton (more commonly known as the T-baton) replaced the wooden batons and retractable nightsticks to enhance their defensive capabilities.

In addition, each officer is issued with one pair of handcuffs and a digital radio set for communication purposes. Pending a forcewide rollout are individual palmtops (called mPOD) developed from the Hewlett-Packard Jornada 928, which allows officers to screen persons and vehicles on the go without having to rely on radio communication. Also currently on trial by officers from Bukit Merah East Neighbourhood Police Centre and Geylang Neighbourhood Police Centre is the Taser X26 stun gun, which provides another non-lethal means of subduing suspects.

Strict enforcement of anti-arm laws which are in existence in Singapore since 1823 has resulted in a relatively gun-free society, where firearms-related crimes are rare. It is therefore not an operational requirement for police officers to don bulletproof vests when conducting normal policing duties. However, these vests are carried in police vehicles and stocked in police establishments and can be rapidly utilised should the situation requires it. From 2004, new multi-purpose vests were introduced which offer the officer protection against most handgun fire, knife thrusts, as well as doubling up as a buoyancy vests should the officer fall into deep water.

Land division officers typically respond to calls in rapid-deployment vehicles known as the Fast Response Car (FRC). Adapted from mostly Japanese-made saloon cars, they carry a large array of equipment to allow officers to conduct normal policing duties and basic investigative work which officers are expected to perform with the implementation of the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) system. A typical FRC vehicle may therefore stock equipment for the force-opening of locked doors, conducting roadblocks, fingerprint collection, and the provision of first aid. On top of these, chemical agent protection equipment and bulletproof vests are also carried for the officer's protection.

Other vehicles typically used in NPCs include the scooters and vans. Bicycles, although currently less seen, are still used by land division officers occasionally, particularly when conducting routine patrols in large, sprawling private housing estates. From 2004, the new Fast Response Vehicle (FRV) was introduced, utilising diesel-powered sport utility vehicles which provide greater ability to endure high usage on the roads over extensive periods of time. Their bigger storage space also allows for easier storage and retrieval of equipment.

For weaponry, equipment and vehicles of the various specialist forces, please see their respective pages for details.

• Aetos Security Management Private Limited (CIAS / PSA / ST Kinetics)
• CISCO Security Private Limited
• Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) Auxiliary Police Force

• Books
  • In the service of the nation, 1985
  • 999: True Cases from the CID, 1989
  • Service to the Nation: 50 years of the Volunteer Special Constabulary, 1998
  • Policing Singapore in the 19th & 20th centuries, 2002
  • Justice is Done, 2005

• Novels
  • Operation Firestorm, 1997

• Periodicals
  • Singapore Police Magazine
  • Police Life, 1971 to present
  • Police Life Annual

• Non-Fictional television programs
  • Crimewatch (Singapore), 1986-2005

• Fictional television programs
  • CID '83, 1983
  • Patrol (铁警雄风), 1989
  • Triple Nine, 1995-1998
  • Heartlanders, 2002-Present
  • City of Heroes (film) (城市英雄), 2003

• Movies
  • The Last Blood (驚天十二小時), 1991
  • 2000AD (film) (公元2000), 1999
  • After School, 2004

• Awards and decorations of the Singapore Police Force
• Establishments and installations of the Singapore Police Force
• Major crimes in Singapore
• Law enforcement in Singapore
• List of law enforcement agencies
• List of Singapore police officers killed in the line of duty
• National Police Cadet Corps (Singapore)
• Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau
• SATS Security Services

• "In the Service of the Nation", John Drysdale, Federal Publications, 1985 ISBN 9971407035
• "Phoenix: the story of the Home Team ", Felix Soh, Times Editions, 2003 ISBN 9812326375
• "Policing Singapore in the 19th & 20th centuries", Peer M. Akbur, Singapore Police Force, 2002 ISBN 981047024X

• Singapore Police Force
• Organization, Recruitment, and Training of Police
• Public Order and Internal Security (1989)
• Singapore Police Force Band
• Training the Police

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