CRIME PREVENTION-THE SINGAPORE APPROACH - Jarmal Singh
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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
CRIME PREVENTION-THE SINGAPORE APPROACH
Jarmal Singh*
I. INTRODUCTION pushed by a strong executive and enacted
by a very responsive legislature; a very
Singapore, being a city state dependant
robust and efficient world class court
on trade and with business links to all parts
system; a police force also aspiring to be
of the world, is a very open country.
world class in its total policing capabilities,
Further, its strategic location makes it a
which includes at its bedrock, community
natural hub for airlines and ships. In view
policing in a strong, symbiotic partnership
of the very many varied cultures and
with the community it polices, strong
historical attractions in the region
enforcement by incorruptible officers and
surrounding it, large numbers of tourists
an austere but humane correctional system
and business travelers pass through it. It
which aids rehabilitation whenever
is hence open to varied influences, and is
possible.
also vulnerable to passing crooks who can
easily pass of as locals or tourists.
The main thrust of the police-community
partnership is based on mutual help, with
As most of its occupants are descendents
the public being persuaded and encouraged
of immigration stock, mainly from the
to take personal responsibility both
Peninsula Malaysia, the Indonesia
individually and in partnership with others
archipelago, China, India and Europe, it
in safeguarding themselves, their property
is heterogeneous. There are hence
and their neighbourhood with the advice
sensitivities relating to race, religion,
and assistance of the police. It is based on
language and nationality. These need to
the principle that prevention is a
be safeguarded against exploitation by
community responsibility and crime
bigots and anti-national elements.
prevention measures taken by the
Nevertheless, their common destiny and
community can limit and reduce
the need to work among and with each
opportunities for the commission of crime.
other have led to the establishment of a
Further, the community has a role in
generally similar outlook relating to their
mitigating the impact of crime on
physical self and property. As all value
unintended victims, such as the
these rights, crime which attacks these
dependents of victims, offenders and others
rights is obviously abhorred and is always
who suffer collateral damage from these
a highly topical subject of concern inspite
crimes. The community also has a role in
of Singapore having one of the lowest crime
reintegrating people into society.
rates in the world.
Since 1988, Singapore has been enjoying
The low crime rate has been achieved
a decreasing crime rate for 9 consecutive
by the combination of deterrence,
years. This would not have been possible
enforcement and rehabilitation under a
if not for cooperation from the public,
very effective criminal justice system.
brought about by community-policing.
Deterrence is provided by tough laws,
About 1/3 of all arrest cases are solved as a
result of public-spiritedness shown by
* Deputy Director Operations, Police Headquarters,
members of the public, assisting or giving
Singapore Police Force, Republic of Singapore.
vital information leading to the
140112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
apprehension of the criminal. the community. Crime prevention
education make people aware that:
In the last two decades, Singapore has
become highly industrialised and (i) They are personally responsible
urbanised. The SPF has become an for the safety of their property
organisation fully committed to serving the and themselves, and for the
needs of and protecting the people living safety of their neighbourhoods.
in Singapore. In response to these changes, (ii) Many crimes are opportunistic in
the SPF has also undergone a period of nature and are committed
transformation in terms of its through the negligence and
organisational structure and policing carelessness of the victims.
strategies. Crime is prevented if the
opportunity is denied or delayed.
The SPF has moved from reactive (iii) They can prevent crimes by
policing to proactive policing based on the taking simple and effective
concept of community policing and adapted measures on their own or in co-
from the very successful Japanese Koban operation with their neighbours.
model. This led to the establishment of 91 Crime prevention measures must
neighbourhood police posts (NPPs) under be commensurate with the threat.
the supervision of 7 land division Effective protection will not come
headquarters. The NPPs primary role is from any single measure but from
creating a sense of security in the the sum total of all practical and
neighbourhood through easily accessible possible measures.
counter service, close liaison with the
public, high visibility patrols, house visits B. Formation of a Crime Prevention
and crime prevention education. Branch
The Crime Prevention Branch of the SPF
II. CRIME PREVENTION was formed in 1977 under the Criminal
CONCEPTS AND STRUCTURES Investigation Department (CID) to cater
for the needs of a specialised branch
A. Concepts
devoted exclusively to crime prevention
Accompanying community policing, is
activities. The main task of the branch was
the development of a proactive approach
to inform the public that they have a
to crime prevention. The most strenuous
significant role to play in safeguarding
efforts by the police alone will not produce
themselves and their properties against
the desired results if the community stands
crime. For that purpose, the branch
by passively in the erroneous belief that
embarked on an extensive programme of
crime is purely a police responsibility. The
crime prevention activities, which includes
community must accept that the task of
talks, exhibitions and personal calls to
crime prevention is as much a community
disseminate advice on measures that could
responsibility as it is a police responsibility,
be adopted to prevent crime.
and must join hands with the police to
make crime prevention effective. The
In view of the economic growth and
failure of public involvement in crime
industrial development in Singapore, the
prevention may be attributed to ignorance.
branch was expanded to that of a Crime
It is the police responsibility to overcome
Prevention Division (CPD) in 1981, so as
this ignorance through a sustained
to provide a more thorough and efficient
programme of education that brings about
crime prevention programme for the public.
crime prevention awareness throughout
141RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
The formation of the CPD signaled the The NCPC comprises of persons from
beginning of the community-oriented both the private and public sector.
policing strategy in Singapore. Since its Members include business and social
inception, the CPD has initiated several leaders, professionals and police officers.
projects in crime prevention, namely the It is involved with other organisations and
Neighbourhood Watch Scheme (NWS), government departments in promoting
Crime Prevention Committees (CPCs), crime prevention. It works closely with the
Crime Risk Surveys, Operation police and organises exhibitions,
Identification, crime prevention workshops, courses, contests and talks to
exhibitions, crime prevention campaigns; involve and educate individuals and
and youth programmes like the Crime organisations on crime prevention. It also
Proficiency Badge Scheme for uniformed conducts research into various aspects of
groups like the National Police Cadet crime prevention. Research is also
Corps, Scouts and Girl Guides etc. commissioned to measure the effectiveness
of crime prevention programmes. Various
The Division was later to work closely subcommittees are also formed under the
with the National Crime Prevention NCPC to address problems related to crime
Council (NCPC) which was formed on 4 within various trades and concerns. They
July 1981. The formation of the Council include:
marked an extremely important event in
the history of crime prevention work and (i) Hotel Security Committee
development in Singapore. (ii) S e c u r i t y a t C o n s t r u c t i o n
Worksites Committee
C. National Crime Prevention (iii) Children & Youth Committee
Council (iv) Security at Commercial Premises
The National Crime Prevention Council Committee
(NCPC) was set up in 1981 to act as a (v) Security in Housing Committee
catalyst and partner to mobilise the (vi) Focus Group Committee
support of groups and individuals from the
community to work closely with the police III. CRIME PREVENTION
on crime prevention. It is a non-profit SCHEMES
making organisation which depends
A. Neighbourhood Watch Scheme
entirely on donations to run their activities.
(NWS)
The NCPC objectives are:
In 1981, the SPF introduced the
Neighbourhood Watch Scheme (NWS) to
(i) To raise the level of public
tap on the resources of the community,
awareness and concern about
especially the residents of high-rise
crime;
apartments, in line with its community,
(ii) To encourage self-help in crime
policing concept. The Scheme was
prevention;
originally conceived to encourage mutual
(iii) To study, develop and improve
care and help among neighbours, through
crime prevention measures
residents keeping an eye out for each
suitable for adoption by the
other’s premises, and it was hoped that
public; and
civic-mindedness, neighbourliness and
(iv) To co-ordinate the efforts of
social responsibility in the context of crime
organisations interested in such
prevention would be enhanced. This would
activities.
contribute to keeping neighbourhoods safe
from crime.
142112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
By 1993, the NWS had 10,000 groups of at-large (through initiatives such as
about 5 households located on the same problem-solving ), and to the individual
floor of a block of apartments, and led by a (through house visits ). In order to achieve
group leader. Such a group is called a this, the following was addressed:
Neighbourhood Watch Group (NWG). The
goals of the NWG are: (i) The need for the aims, structure
and activities of the revised NWS
(i) To encourage residents to keep an to be congruent with the priorities
eye for their neighbours’ of community agencies, thus
premises, so as to enhance the underscoring the relevance of
physical security of their estate. community-based cooperation at
(ii) To disseminate, through the the grassroots level.
NWG leader, awareness of (ii) The need to leverage on the
potential threats to resident’s strengths of the existing
safety in their estate. grassroots network such as
(iii) Instill, through the NWG leader, Residents Committees (RCs) /
an awareness of potential threats Residents Associations (RAs).
to residents’ safety in that estate. (iii) The need for activities under the
revised NWS to cause individuals
Despite the large number of NWGs to develop a greater sense of
formed, the scheme met with limited belonging to and responsible for
success. The activities of the NWGs have the neighbourhood they live in.
been minimal or, in some cases, non-
existent. This is due to the following B. Neighbourhood Watch Zone
factors: (NWZ)
The new model for the Neighbourhood
(i) Lack of leadership by NWG Watch Scheme envisages a strategic
leaders; partnership between the SPF and
(ii) Lack of participation by NWG Residents’ Committee (RC) for Public
members; Housing and Resident’s Association (RA)
(iii) Limited scope of activity for for Private Housing (the key community
NWGs; agency at the grassroots level). The SPF
(iv) Existence of alternative channels no longer attempts to build up a network
of communication. of community relationships in isolation.
Instead, it will work with and through the
In the light of the above factors, a review RCs and RAs, in order to achieve the
of the NWS in 1996 was made with a view objective of the Neighbourhood Watch
to ensuring that it continues to remain Scheme. This is done primarily through
effective and to complement the work of the the creation of “Neighbourhood Watch
Residents Committees (RCs), Residents Zones” in each of the 456 RC and 65 RA
Associations (RAs) and the police. The RCs Zones. NWZs will form an integral part of
and RAs are grassroots community-based the RC and RA structure, and will be led
civic organisations that are all over by the Liaison Officer (LO) of the RC or RA
Singapore. The principal considerations on Zone, assisted by their Assistance Liaison
the revised NWS form an integral part of Officers (ALOs). They can be the vehicle
the police’s overall strategy of community through which the RC’s and RA’s aim of
policing, working in conjunction with engendering a strong community spirit can
attempts to reach out to the community- be achieved. Their focus, unlike the NWGs,
143RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
is not on crime-related concerns alone, but leaflets and posters;
on all issues that interest or affect the (iii) Work jointly with RC and RA
community. members to discuss and propose
solutions to crime concerns;
RCs and RAs have been strengthened (iv) Seek residents’ feedback on police
as the pre-eminent community issues during house visits;
organisations at the precinct level. They (v) Meet NWZ LOs for information
have the mandate not only to discuss, but on RC/RA events;
also to deal with all aspects of concerns that (vi) Identify RC/RA activities as
have crime or law and order implications. platforms to promote crime
Key areas of community concern will be prevention awareness;
focused on the RCs and RAs. This gives (vii) Organise activities at a ‘small
the community an identity to rally to. Since group’ level to provide
the RCs and RAs have more substantial opportunities for NWZ members
areas of focus, the possibility of active and to meet and get to know each
meaningful participation in RC/RA other;
activities by residents will be raised. (viii) Customise police publications
with community level messages
The transformation from Neighbourhood for dissemination to residents;
Watch Groups to Neighbourhood Watch and
Zones (NWZ) is a move from quantity to (ix) Work with the community on
quality. With a more manageable number crime prevention publications.
of NWZs to work with, NPPs can
concentrate on working more closely with The role of Liaison Officers (LOs) in
each NWZ, thus strengthening its NWZs are as follows:
leadership and administration. A total of
25 NWZs were launched at the pilot phase (i) Promote neighbourliness,
in April 1997. To date the SPF has harmony and cohesiveness within
established 191 NWZs. A typical NWZ is the NWZ;
made up of a Liaison Officer (LO) and is (ii) Conduct NWZ programmes to
assisted by Assistant Liaison Officers raise the crime prevention
(ALOs). The LOs and ALOs of the NWZ awareness of the residents;
work very closely with the NPP officers to (iii) Acting through the ALOs,
coordinate crime prevention activities and disseminate information to and
programmes to foster community bonding. channel feedback from the
They will also disseminate information to residents to the neighbourhood
the residents and channel feedback from police post/RC/RA.
residents to Resident Committees (RCs)/ (iv) Coordinate and promote a wide
Resident Associations (RAs) and NPPs. range of activities eg, social and
The role of our NPP officers in NWzs are cultural, etc, to engender a strong
to work in close partnership with the community spirit among
members of RCs/RAs in promoting residents and to raise crime
neighbourhood watch. Typically, they will: prevention awareness;
(v) Attend to neighbourhood and
(i) Actively support RC and RA community crime prevention
activities; matters;
(ii) Disseminate crime prevention (vi) Promote and encourage resident
information through house visits, participation in crime awareness
144112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
programmes; V. CRIME PREVENTION FOR THE
(vii) Mobilise community resources to GENERAL PUBLIC
address residents’ crime concerns
A. Crime Prevention Exhibitions
(viii) Resolve, with the support of
and Talks
NPPs, disputes among residents;
To stimulate greater public interest and
and
instill crime prevention awareness, crime
(ix) F o s t e r c i v i c c o n s c i o u s n e s s
prevention exhibitions are held throughout
amongst residents.
the year at shopping centres, community
centres and void decks of apartments to
The SPF, in building a strong community
reach out to the general public. The police
support, had created the Neighbourhood
also conduct talks at grassroots and private
Watch Zones in 25 RC Zones for its pilot
organisations. Crime prevention
scheme launched in April 1997. A survey
phamplets, posters and handbooks are also
was conducted a year later to find out the
produced and distributed to the general
level of awareness of the NWZ scheme and
public during exhibitions or talks and are
and the crime prevention knowledge of the
easily available at the Neighbourhood
residents. The findings were that more
Police Centres/Posts.
than 90% of the respondents wanted the
scheme to continue or be implemented in
B. Annual Crime Prevention
their estates. They also felt that the
Campaign
scheme was effective in helping to prevent
To focus attention on crimes which affect
crime. With the success of this scheme, the
the public at large, the police, together with
SPF is embarking to expand it island-wide.
the NCPC, jointly organise the Year-End
To date, the SPF has established 191
Festive Season Crime Prevention
NWZs.
Campaign. The mass media such as
television, cinema, posters etc, would also
IV. CRIME PREVENTION
be employed to communicate crime
PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS
prevention messages to the general public.
With community policing firmly in place,
and strategic networks established with C. Crime Risk Surveys
public organisations such as grassroots To determine security weaknesses, the
organisations, and private bodies such as police conduct Crime Risks Surveys for
various trade associations, it becomes both residential and commercial premises
possible to leverage on their cooperation upon request (by appointment or
and expertise in crime prevention. The registration at crime prevention
reach of crime prevention programmes exhibitions). The police also visit scenes of
initiated by the SPF is greatly enhanced crime to advise the victims of means of
through these collaborations with leading improving the structural security features
public and private organisations that aim of their premises. The aims of the surveys
to enhance security-awareness and are:
security within their respective trades and
spheres of operation. The following are (i) To provide specialised advisory
some of the crime prevention programmes services on crime prevention to
being implemented by the police in the public at no cost;
collaboration with the community. (ii) To help improve the physical
security features of premises; and
145RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
(iii) To encourage the use of various 2. Crime Prevention for Uniformed
crime prevention measures and Groups
devices to enhance the security of To reinforce crime prevention messages
premises. among uniformed youth groups in schools
such as the National Police Cadet Corps,
D. Crime Watch TV Progamme the Scouts and Girl Guides, participation
To educate the general public through in crime prevention activities are
the television, the police and the NCPC also encouraged. These activities include crime
jointly produce the Crime Watch TV prevention knowledge tests, visits to NPPs
Programme Series. The programme and the Crime Prevention Display Room.
features crime awareness including solved Upon completion of these activities,
and unsolved cases, appealing for students would be awarded the Crime
information and witnesses and public Prevention Proficiency Badge. The police
education segments on crime prevention intend to extend the award to all other
measures or road safety. This TV uniformed groups in schools.
programme is shown monthly during
prime-time in both the English and 3. Textbook for Students
Chinese languages. To educate our students on crime
prevention, a series of crime prevention
E. Crime Prevention for Senior textbooks called “Dear Mr Policeman” were
Citizens brought into the school curriculums in 1986
Senior citizens being vulnerable and to teach students from upper primary to
trusting, can easily become victims of lower secondary levels the importance of
unscrupulous criminals. Crime Prevention crime prevention. This series, which is still
Talks are conducted by Crime Prevention currently being taught, will soon be
Officers (CPOs) to various senior citizen replaced in 1999 by an enhanced series
associations or groups. This also involves called “Safe and Secure: That’s Our
police liaison with the People’s Association Singapore”, which will carry not only crime
and related organisations on the organising prevention messages from the police, but
of crime prevention programmes and also road safety, and fire safety messages
exhibitions. from the Singapore Civil Defence Force,
and drug abuse prevention messages from
F. Crime Prevention for the Young the Central Narcotics Bureau.
and Youths
1. School Security Committees (SSCs) 4. Crime Prevention CDs for Schools
The Committee is headed by teachers in A crime prevention interactive multi-
the schools themselves. The programme media CD targeting students and youths
was formed to enhance crime prevention have been developed. The CD contains the
and fire safety in the schools. The police messages of crime prevention, fire safety/
officers at the NPPs act as liaison officers emergency preparedness, anti-drug abuse
to these SSCs. Meetings are held with and road safety, from the police, Singapore
SSCs to update them on the latest crime Civil Defence Force and the Central
trends and advice. The police also render Narcotics Bureau respectively. The CD
assistance, such as arranging and comes complete with digitised images and
conducting crime prevention talks to the good audio and visual animation to make
students. learning fun and interactive for students
and youths alike.
146112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
5. Crime Prevention Videos academic and recreation support;
An educational video called “Gangfile” and
warning teenagers of the dangers of joining (iii) Voluntary curfew.
gangs; and a handbook called “Say No To
Gangs”, has been produced and distributed Participants in the voluntary curfew
to all schools. Another video, entitled scheme will have to undertake not to visit
“Prison Me? No Way!” has been produced certain entertainment outlets and likely
for students and youths to steer them away gang hangouts. They must also stay at
from crime. The video recounts the prison home during certain times of the day. Their
life of 2 youth offenders, and conveys the parents will have to agree to supervise
severity, harshness and consequences of a them and ensure that they observe the
prison sentence. The video, which is curfew for the duration of the programme.
distributed to all schools, comes complete
with a teachers’ guide. 8. Visits to Penal Institutions
The police and CNB will continue to
6. Joint School Talks on Crime and Drug organise institutional visits for youths
Abuse Prevention identified to be involved in petty crimes and
To maximise the benefits of combined other delinquent activities at the prisons
preventive drug and crime education and Drug Rehabilitation Centres
among students, the police and the Central respectively. This would enable the youths
Narcotics Bureau (CNB) have integrated to have direct exposure to the deprivations
and coordinated joint school talks on crime, in the drug and penal regimes.
secret society activities and drug abuse
prevention. The police, CNB and Ministry 9. Organisation of Police Youth Camps
of Education (MOE) also work together to Youth camps for high-risk students will
draw up a year-long lecture schedule for be organised by the police to serve as an
schools. This schedule ensures that every outlet for energy and imagination, to steer
school will be visited by the officers and youths away from crime or associating with
benefit from their talks. Apart from the bad elements. This will also instill some
schedule, schools can also request special confidence as well as social skills in them.
talks to small group of students who have
been singled-out for any kind of infractions. 10. H o n o r a r y Vo l u n t e e r S p e c i a l
This helps the police and CNB to establish Constabulary (VSC) Scheme
better ties with discipline masters and with As juvenile delinquents have become
schools in general. increasingly defiant and aggressive over
the years, the police alone cannot tackle
7. Streetwise Programme the problem effectively. The Honorary VSC
In addition to preventive education in scheme was introduced in 1997 to
schools, the National Youth Council (NYC) strengthen the links between schools and
has initiated the “StreetWise Programme” the police in an effort to keep juvenile
-a programme designed to change the delinquency problems and youth-gang
behaviour of youths who have unwittingly influences away from schools. Teachers are
drifted into gang activities. Three key appointed as Honorary VSC Senior
components in the programme are: Officers.
(i) Counselling; The appointment symbolises police
(ii) D e v e l o p m e n t t r a i n i n g t o presence and authority in schools and
inculcate life skills and provide enhances teachers’ position as the overseer
147RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
of school discipline. The Honorary VSC To date, 145 CPCs have been formed all
Senior Officers carry warrant cards which over Singapore.
enables them to make arrests when there
are serious breaches of the peace within, 2. Crime Prevention for Construction
or in the immediate vicinity of, the school Sites
compound or during school activities. Security audits of construction sites are
conducted jointly by the Singapore
The Honorary VSC Senior Officers play Contractors Association Limited (SCAL),
the role of the liaison officer between the the NCPC and the police. The objectives
respective schools and the police. Police are to promote and encourage crime
will work closely with them to curb juvenile prevention awareness, enhance work site
delinquency. They will contact the police security and to deter unauthorised visitors
should the need arise and assist in and illegal immigrants. To educate foreign
scheduling talks on topics related to secret workers, a crime prevention video for
society activities or crime prevention. They construction workers in 7 different
also help to organise police-youth activities languages was also produced and
such as visits to prisons and monitor the incorporated as part of the orientation
behaviour of delinquent students in programme for foreign workers. Every
schools. year, seminars on construction safety and
security are also jointly organised by the
As they are part of the SPF, they are police, NCPC and SCAL.
conferred powers of arrest, and can offer
advice on police procedures and police- 3. Crime Prevention for Hotels
related matters to staff and students in The Singapore Hotel Association (SHA),
their schools. They also counsel the NCPC and the police work closely in
recalcitrant students on the consequences organising the annual Hotel Security
of criminal or gang activities. Conference and Awards Presentation.
Together with SHA, the police also conduct
G. Commercial and Industrial security audits at hotels to ensure their
Sectors standard of security. The objectives are to
1. C r i m e P r e s e n t a t i o n f o r C r i m e promote an urgent sense of security in the
Prevention Committees (CPCs) hotels, to encourage and assist installation
To look after the commercial and of mechanised security systems such as
industrial sectors, the police in 1982 closed-circuit television (CCTV) and to
introduced Crime Prevention Committees endorse security training programmes for
(CPCs). CPCs serve as an organised body the hotels.
where the police can work closely with both
the commercial and industrial sectors on VI. EVALUATING THE
crime prevention. They are equivalent to EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme in COMMUNITY POLICING
public/private residential estates and are STRATEGY / CRIME PREVENTION
responsible for monitoring and looking PROGRAMMES
after the security of their respective
The effectiveness of any country’s
commercial/shopping or industrial
policing strategy and crime prevention
complexes; organising crime prevention
programmes is best gauged by a public
activities and implementing the
perception survey on the overall crime
recommended security measures in
levels, sense of security and police
consultation with police representatives.
148112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
presence. To this end, such a survey was and grassroots organisations to raise crime
conducted by the police in 1997. Of those prevention awareness. To do this, the
surveyed, 62% of the respondents believed police will continue to establish close
that major crimes were declining, and 46% partnerships with community-based
perceived that minor crimes were organisations and self-help groups to
declining. Comparing the general security leverage on mutual strengths and expertise
of Singapore with most countries in the to combat crime.
world, 93% of the respondents felt it was
better. 86% of the respondents also felt that C. Enhancing Crime Prevention
the security in Singapore at present (1996) Awareness among Police Officers
was better than 5 years ago (1991). More To continue enhancing crime prevention
than 95% of respondents felt that, on the awareness among its officers, the SPF aims
whole, the NPP system, and the police in to further enhance the expertise of Crime
general have met their expectations. Prevention Officers, by upgrading the
general crime prevention knowledge
In terms of the effectiveness of crime (including technical and highly specialised
prevention programmes, television aspects) and awareness of officers through
programmes such as crime watch continue training. Police will, together with the
to top the list, with 93% of respondents NCPC, generate initiatives for crime
having known of it. Of the respondents who prevention and build strategic alliances
expressed knowledge of the crime watch with organisations in the private and
programmes, 75% have watched it before. public sector to raise crime prevention
Other crime prevention activities which the awareness in their respective fields.
public are aware of include posters (73%),
leaflets and newsletters (69%), and VIII. CONCLUSION
exhibitions (68%).
To manage the expectations of the public,
and to meet the challenges of the 21 st
VII. FUTURE CHALLENGES
century, the police will continue to improve
A. Expansion of Neighbourhood and fine-tune the system of community
Watch Zones policing and to continuously involve the
The strategy of engaging the community public. Internally, the police will
in crime prevention awareness will continuously hone and improve the existing
continue. The police are looking into the infrastructure of community policing to
expansion of the NWZ Scheme. The aim is keep in step with the complexity of the
to foster the idea of neighbourhood watch crime scene in the years to come. No effort
and the concept of self-help in crime is spared as our officers are continuously
prevention to residents via the Residents’ trained with the latest technology and
Committee (RC) and the Residents’ know how. Laterally, the police will also
Association (RA). With close partnership venture to establish strategic alliances and
in the community, the NWZ Scheme will partnerships with grassroots bodies,
become more effective in reaching out to private organisations, various trade
residents island-wide. associations, public institutions, etc, to curb
crime. In this regard, work on the NWZ
B. Enhancing Strategic Alliances Scheme will be carried out in earnest so
with Community Groups that it is implemented island-wide. The
The SPF intends to enhance the future of our policing strategy is embodied
strategic alliances with community groups in our crime prevention slogan for 1998/
149RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56 99, which is “Together We Can Prevent Crime”. Thus, as we enter into the 21st century, the police-public partnership will remain a vital chemistry for any success in combating crime. 150
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