A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Singapore Police Force Polis Repablik Singapura (Malay) 新加坡警察部队 (Chinese) சிங்கப்பூர் காவல் துறை (Tamil) | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the Singapore Police Force | |
| Abbreviation | SPF |
| Motto | Setia dan Bakti (Loyalty and Service) |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 24 May 1820[1] |
| Legal personality | Police force |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Singapore |
| Operations jurisdiction | Singapore |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 28 Irrawaddy Road, New Phoenix Park, Singapore 329560 |
| Active personnels | 9,571 regulars 4,685 conscripts 1,135 civilian volunteers |
| Reserve officers | 26,459 reservists 1,266 civilian volunteers |
| Elected officers responsible |
|
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Staff departments | 21
|
| Specialist and line units | 18
|
| Facilities | |
| NPCs/NPPs | 97 |
| Police boats | 61 |
| Website | |
| police | |
1°19′27.56″N 103°50′43.24″E / 1.3243222°N 103.8453444°E The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; human and weapons trafficking; cyber crime; as well as economic crimes that goes across domestic and international borders, but can be tasked to investigate any crime under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and is accountable to the Parliament of Singapore.[2]
SPF's main geographical area of responsibilities covers the entire country, consisting of five regions which are further divided into 55 planning areas. The organisation has various staff departments with specific focuses. These include the Airport Police Division (APD), which covers policing of Singapore's main civilian airports of Changi and Seletar, or the Police Coast Guard (PCG), which protects and enforces areas under Singapore's territorial waters and its ports.
Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police (RSP), the SPF is a uniformed organisation. The SPF has declared its mission and vision as to "prevent, deter and detect crime to ensure the safety and security of Singapore".[3] It is Singapore's point of contact for foreign agencies such as Interpol and other international law enforcement agencies. The organisational structure of the SPF is split between staff and line functions, which is roughly modelled after the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
The SPF currently consists of sixteen staff departments, four specialist staff departments, eighteen specialist and line units as well as seven land divisions. Its headquarters are located at one of the blocks of the New Phoenix Park building in the Novena district, which is located directly adjacent to a twin block occupied by the MHA.[4] Situated within the headquarters are the Police Heritage Centre (PHC), which is open to the public and showcases the SPF's history through its various exhibits and multimedia displays.[5]
As of 2020, the SPF has a strength of approximately 10,706 personnel: 9,571 sworn officers and 1,135 civilian staff. The SPF has generally been credited as being the forefront in keeping crime in Singapore low, as well as being relatively transparent in its policing.[6] Accordingly, Singapore has been considered as being one of least corrupt and safest countries in the world.[7][8] The SPF also works closely with the Internal Security Department (ISD) and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). As of 2022, the current Minister of Home Affairs is K Shanmugam, while the current commissioner of the SPF is Hoong Wee Teck.[9]
History
Early years
The Singapore Police Force was founded in 1820, starting with just 11 men under the command of Francis James Bernard, the son-in-law of William Farquhar.[10] With no background nor knowledge on policing, Bernard had to work from scratch, as well as occasionally turning to Farquhar for help. In addition, he held multiple roles as magistrate, chief jailer, harbour master, marine storekeeper, as well as personal assistants to Farquhar. Farquhar informed Raffles that he had provisionally introduced licences for opium and alcohol sales that would raise $650 per month, with $300 of this sum being used to run a small police department.[11]
As the department took form, Bernard became in charge of a writer, one jailor, one jemadar (sergeant) and eight peada (constables) by May 1820.[10] Raffles approved these arrangements by August 1820 and cemented the formal establishment of a police force in Singapore.[12] Manpower constraints meant that the men had to perform a wide range of roles, and required the help of headmen among the various ethnic communities to maintain orderliness on the streets.
Many laws that were enacted during this time remains in force today. These include the passing of Singapore's first arms law in March 1823, which heavily restricts the right to bear arms. Nearly two centuries later, these anti-arms laws continue to be strictly enforced, resulting in a society relatively free from firearms-related criminal offences.[13]
1965–present
The SPF remains the sole policing force in Singapore after its independence. The country has one of the lowest murder rates in the world, as well as the lowest firearm-related death rates.[14][15] The major crimes that tend to affect the Singaporean populace in the 21st century are usually cybercrimes, such as scams that are often based overseas. In 2020, cybercrimes made up almost half of all crimes in Singapore.[16]
Organisational structure
Leadership
| Rank and appointment | Abbreviation | Office holder |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner of Police | CP | Hoong Wee Teck[9] |
| Deputy Commissioner of Police (Policy) | DC(P) | Jerry See Buck Thye[9] |
| Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations & Intelligence) | DC(I&I) | How Kwang Hee[9] |
| Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) | DC(Ops) | Lian Ghim Hua[9] |
Staff departments
| Department | Abbreviation | Area of responsibility | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration & Finance Department | A&F | Administrative, finance and procurement services | [17] |
| Centre for Protective Security | CPS | Training and maintenance of protective security standards | [18] |
| Community Partnership Department | CPD | Community engagement and crime prevention | [19] |
| Inspectorate and Compliance Office | InCo | Internal audit and risk management | [20] |
| Internal Affairs Office | IAO | Handling of internal investigations | [21] |
| International Cooperation Department | ICD | Maintenance of relations with foreign law enforcement agencies as well as handling transnational and international police operations | [22] |
| Manpower Department | MPD | Human resource management and recruitment programmes | [23] |
| Operations Department | OPD | Responsible for operational matters including the development of doctrines and standard operating procedures; oversees the Police Operations Command Centre | [24] |
| Planning and Organisation Department | P&O | Strategic planning and organisational development | [25] |
| Police Licensing and Regulatory Department | PLRD | Processing and enforcement of various police licenses | [26] |
| Police Logistics Department | PLD | Procurement, distribution and maintenance of equipment | [27] |
| Police National Service Department | PNSD | Human resource management of Police National Servicemen | [28] |
| Public Affairs Department | PAD | Public relations and media relations | [29] |
| Service Delivery Department | SDD | Handling of public feedback and service quality affairs | [30] |
| Training & Capability Development Department | TCDD | Development of training policy, methodologies and training safety | [31] |
| Volunteer Special Constabulary | VSC | Human resource management of volunteer police officers | [32] |
Specialist staff departments
| Department | Abbreviation | Area of responsibility | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Affairs Department | CAD | Detection and investigation of financial crime | [33] |
| Criminal Investigation Department | CID | Primary detective agency and investigative body | [34] |
| Ops-Tech Department | OTD | Development of Science & Technology | [35] |
| Police Intelligence Department | PID | Gathering and processing of police intelligence | [36] |
| Police Psychological Services Department | PPSD | Handling psychological matters | [37] |