Number of Police Patrols Deployed at Little India on Weekends

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of police patrols deployed at Little India on weekends; (b) whether the number of patrols at Little India has declined over the past three years; and (c) whether there are any plans by the Police to increase the number of patrols to ensure safety and security of the neighbourhood, especially on weekends and public holidays.

Police operational deployments are confidential and are driven by an assessment of the law and order situation. The Police deploy a significant number of Auxiliary Police Officers and Security Officers to patrol Little India during peak periods such as weekend nights, eve of Public Holidays and Public Holidays. The APOs and SOs are augmented by Police officers from Central Police Division and the Special Operations Command. The level of deployment has not changed over the past three years.

The Police have also deployed cameras within Little India to supplement the ground patrols. We have steadily increased the number of cameras, from 34 in 2016 to about 200 today.

Police’s assessment is that the current deployments have kept the crime situation in Little India in check. Police will work with stakeholders to monitor the situation and will adjust its operational strategies accordingly.

I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the answer. I am heartened to hear that the patrol levels have remained stable. I would like to ask a supplementary question. During my house visits, residents inform me that they were seeing more instances of drunken individuals, sleeping on the staircase landing and along the common corridors at the higher levels of the HDB blocks. Residents said this was because the Police only patrol the ground level, causing the individuals to then move up the blocks. Can the Police consider having the Auxiliary Police Officers conduct vertical patrols to deter individuals from loitering at the higher levels of our HDB blocks?

Patrol deployment plans are calibrated based on the crime trends as well as the crowd footfall. We note the Member's feedback but just to let the Member know, the patrol team does patrol common areas as well as specific areas of concern. This includes the higher floors and staircase landings of HDB blocks where there is specific feedback about congregations or dis-amenities. If the Member has specific feedback in terms of the block or the areas with such congregation, he can share it with the Police and the Police will certainly look into it.