Committee of Supply – Head P (Ministry of Home Affairs)

Mdm Chair, the Next Generation Frontline Policing Model has been implemented progressively across Singapore. The objectives of introducing this model in 2012 were to allow frontline resources to be more nimble, focused and responsive in fighting crime and, at the same time, engage the community in a deeper and more meaningful manner.

Now that more than three years have passed, I would like to ask the Minister if he could provide an update on the progress and effectiveness of the programme implemented so far. Has the Ministry seen an improvement in addressing issues, such as unlicensed moneylending, neighbourhood crimes and public nuisances, with the new Policing Model?

I understand that the Police has leveraged technology to better enable its crime prevention and crime fighting capabilities. Nonetheless, there remains a need for real people on the ground to keep an active lookout, reach corners that technology cannot and engage the broader community.

As the Police continues to recruit capable Police officers under the Frontline Policing Model, there is a need for a network of community stakeholders who can complement the efforts of our law enforcers. Hence, I would like to ask the Minister if he could update on how volunteers and community partners have been engaged and involved to help keep Singapore safe and secure.

Mdm Chair, our heartland neighbourhoods are changing. In rapidly growing new towns like Punggol, we have larger numbers of young couples and families moving in. They are living away from their extended family and childhood friends. Families are increasingly fragmented and deep networks of trust and social reciprocity have yet to be formed.

The nature of the threat of crime has also changed, as was described by my colleague, with more scams and cybercrime, less violence and housebreaking. These changes will continue for some time and the nature of the challenge for Home Team officers will change.

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How has SPF modified its processes to better engage with residents and improve trust, neighbourliness and a sense of responsibility? Are there new skills, processes and techniques that the officers need at hand? How has this been balanced with the need to keep our neighbourhoods secure in the face of changing threats?

Mdm Chair, everyone knows that Singapore is a safe place, but low crime does not mean no crime. That is the common refrain. We often hear from fellow Singaporeans that they hope to see a stronger police presence, particularly where they live. This desire for more Police presence makes it tough to accede to, in view of the labour market and recruiting constraints.

The Community Policing Scheme or COPS, which augment the presence of men and women in blue, has proven successful. This can be seen from the Crime Statistics released in January. COPS has increased security and safety in the neighbourhood through collaboration and support of the community. My residents in Clementi have remarked that the unlicensed moneylending or UML harassments have, indeed, dropped.

There are currently 20 Neighbourhood Police Centres or NPCs working in partnership with the community to roll out COPS. Many grassroots leaders have enrolled, but I must add that many volunteers in COPS are non-traditional grassroots volunteers who simply want to take ownership of the safety and security of the neighbourhood.

The number of NPCs is targeted to reach 35 by 2015. How can their effectiveness be enhanced to complement the good work of these Police officers and to add to the success of the programme? How can the community contribute and participate in taking ownership of the safety and security of their neighbourhoods?

It has been three years since this House passed the amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act to remove the mandatory death penalty in certain limited instances of trafficking. These and other amendments were introduced at a time when Singapore's drug situation had shown some improvement over the years.

At that time, however, this House had expressed a concern that the perceived relaxation of the death penalty could lead to a misperception that the law is softening its zero-tolerance attitude towards drug trafficking.

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Since then, we have had the following statistics from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB): the drug abusers arrested by the CNB have decreased 14% between 2013 and 2014. The number of new drug abusers has also seen a slight decrease of 5% over the same period. In relation to drug abusers, there is a decrease in the recidivism rate for drug abusers released from the DRC over the 2012 period.

These are generally good signs, but we cannot and can never afford to be complacent. The Director of CNB recently expressed the concern that two-thirds of new abusers are below the age of 30. Whilst new abusers have come down, the fact is, he said, "more of our young people are trying drugs". It is, therefore, with some alarm that I learn from the Singapore Children's Society that they have started seeing young abusers, some as young as 13 or 14, appear and being treated for drug abuse.

Madam, two further factors are significant in my view. First, while the street value of drugs in 2014, estimated to be about $8.1 million, has come down markedly from that in 2013, it is significant that the quantity by weight has increased. Cannabis, for instance, has gone up by about 125%. What this tells us is that the same or greater quality of drug is being brought in at a lower value and this could mean that they are more accessible on the street.

Secondly, of all the new abusers, new methamphetamine abusers made up the largest proportion while new cannabis abusers saw an increase of 7%. Methamphetamine is one of the most commonly abused drugs among youths. It is popular because it has short-term upsides; it has been touted to give you better outcomes for examinations, to let you do better in sports and so on. But it also has very severe long-term adverse effects, such as brain damage.

These signs tell us that we must remain unabated in our unstinting fight against drugs. The drug problem is a serious social tragedy. We cannot look at it only in terms of the individual drug abuser who suffers from the addiction.

In that context, may I please ask the Deputy Prime Minister to comment on two issues: first, to reaffirm Singapore's commitment to an absolute zero tolerance of drug abuse and trafficking; second, in light of the numbers that we see on youths and on methamphetamine, to outline the Ministry of Home Affair's (MHA) strategy, specifically in arresting the increase in the number of new and young abusers.

Finally, may I use the remaining time in my final cut on MHA to record appreciation and gratitude to the many men and women who serve on the Home Team. We live in an ever-changing environment. We face new and novel threats both from within our own country and from outside. Many of the Home Team officers put their safety and well-being in harm's

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way on a daily basis as they go about their job to keep Singapore and Singaporeans safe. For that, we are grateful for their dedication.

Mdm Chair, my topic in this segment concerns heavy vehicles and I would like to declare my interest as I am the Senior Vice-President of SBS Transit Limited, a subsidiary of ComfortDelgro Limited.

The sheer size of the heavy vehicles means it could cause much more severe harm during an accident. I noted from the Singapore Police Force's website that the number of fatalities that resulted from accidents involving heavy vehicles has increased by 37.5% from 32 cases in 2012 to 44 cases in 2013.

Speeding by heavy vehicles is a major concern. I understand that heavy vehicles are required by law to install speed limiters to restrict their maximum speed to 60 kilometres per hour. There are almost 49,000 heavy and very heavy goods vehicles in Singapore end of last year, 2014. How many of the 49,000 heavy vehicles have working speed limiters?

Very often, I see heavy vehicles travelling along the second or third lane on a four-lane road, especially along expressways. So, probably, they are speeding. However, the Traffic Police has only caught 57 vehicles for faulty speed limiters or related offences in the past five years. That is, there are 49,000 heavy vehicles on the road but only 57 heavy vehicles were caught with faulty speed limiters by the Police in the past five years and yet in the first half of 2013 alone, 1,766 heavy vehicles were caught for speeding violations. Why the discrepancy?

Are heavy vehicles required to check the speed limiter during the annual vehicle inspection mandated by the Land Transport Authority (LTA)? From what I understand, the check is quite superficial. The annual inspection does not verify if the speed limiter is working or tampered with. It does not need the heavy vehicle to run on the chassis dynamometer to verify if the speed could exceed 60 kilometres per hour. The chassis dynamometer is a bit like a treadmill. The chassis dynamometer test is only required if the Police had caught drivers speeding in heavy vehicles. That means they do not have to be tested on a dynamometer unless they are caught by the Traffic Police and they have to send the vehicle

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for a check more thoroughly.

So, instead of having the Traffic Police do more enforcement action, as mentioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) previously, maybe the Traffic Police could work with LTA to refine the inspection process to better detect whether the speed limiter is functioning during the annual inspection. That is, we have to nip the problem in the bud.

Mdm Chair, the safety of all road users is something that we will have to continually work at, as young people learn to drive, as seniors continue to drive for longer, as more people of all ages ride a motorbike or cycle and as the different forms of commuters come into contact more often.

We are lucky to have such well-maintained and well-constructed roads, but these are a temptation for some drivers to speed. In newer towns like Punggol, especially where people have not yet moved in, these well-constructed and well-maintained wide, straight roads are a natural venue for illegal racing.

Despite its unending nature, road safety is important because the lives at stake often are not the culprits, they are the innocent victims. The culprit is the person who chooses to drive at excessive speed and the victim is often the pedestrian or the passenger. Could the Minister please provide an update on the road safety initiatives and how effective these interventions have been?

I shall now explain our plans for resourcing a ready Home Team and taking community partnerships to the next level, to achieve a safe and secure Singapore.

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Robust laws, effective enforcement and strong community partnerships have helped us maintain a high level of safety and security.

Singapore's overall crime rate of 589 cases per 100,000 population remains low compared to other cities such as London, Sydney, Tokyo and Hong Kong. This is in spite of a 7.4% increase in the number of crime cases in 2014 compared to 2013, and this was driven largely by an increase in online crimes. We will say more about that later. The number of unlicensed moneylending harassment cases fell below 6,000 cases in 2014, a substantial decline from the almost 18,000 cases in 2009. The recidivism rate for ex-offenders is low and has remained relatively stable.

While the number of drug abusers arrested fell by 14% in 2014 compared to 2013, we remain concerned about younger persons getting involved in drugs. Senior Minister of State Masagos will say more about the work of the Task Force on Youths and Drugs later. The number of immigration offenders arrested continued its downward trend – there were 2,040 immigration offenders arrested in 2014, a 63% decrease from 2009, while maintaining the same level of enforcement. Our fire fatality rate has also remained low compared to cities such as New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Our road safety situation has improved. The number of fatal traffic accidents and fatalities have been on a downward trend for the past three years. The installation of new digital red light cameras at road junctions has also helped to improve safe driving behaviour. The number of violations detected went up sharply when these red light cameras were first installed in March 2014. This is significant, as it means that many drivers had previously been beating red lights and each of these occasions could have caused a serious accident. However, the number of violations detected per camera per month had decreased by over 80% by December. In fact, by December, fewer total violations were detected by these red light cameras compared to July 2014, even though there were twice as many cameras. The cameras have helped to improve driving behaviour and road safety.

The Safe Cities Index 2015 by the Economist Intelligence Unit recently ranked Singapore top for personal safety, which measures crime, police engagement and perception of safety.

Mr Hri Kumar asked about our future security challenges. Let me elaborate on three key developments – terrorism, transnational and cybercrime, and domestic challenges such as our changing demographics.

First, terrorism. Terrorism is a global threat, which also impacts Singapore and our region. The conflict in Iraq and Syria has already drawn more than 20,000 foreign fighters, more in numbers and countries of origin than in the Afghanistan conflict in the late-1980s.

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This includes an estimated 350 from Southeast Asia. Upon their return home, these fighters may be more prone to violence. Almost on a daily or weekly basis, we see new revelations or videos of fighters from our region who have been involved in Syria or Iraq.

Self-radicalised individuals may also be influenced by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or ISIS to carry out attacks in their home countries. Such attacks are often opportunistic, and therefore difficult to detect and prevent. The Sydney siege in December 2014, the Paris attacks in January 2015 and the Copenhagen shooting in February 2015 took place even when those countries were already on high alert.

The Home Team will continue to deter and deal with terrorism by securing our borders, hardening our infrastructure and maintaining our capability to respond swiftly and effectively to any threats that come to light. We will continue to conduct exercises to hone our response, as well as enhance our intelligence capabilities and work with international partners to identify and pre-empt terrorism threats.

We take decisive action early to place persons who pose a threat to our security under detention or restriction orders. Since 2002, our security agencies have detained 66 such persons under the Internal Security Act and, of these 66 persons, 57 have since been released. Currently, nine persons remain under detention and 21 persons are on restriction orders, including some who had intended to take part in conflicts overseas. It is heartening that Singaporeans from all communities understand the fragility of our peace and harmony and support the work of our security agencies. Other jurisdictions, in Malaysia, Australia, the US and Europe are strengthening their laws to allow preventive measures against terrorism threats.

Our community and religious groups also play a key role in preventing and deterring terrorism and in maintaining social cohesion and harmony in the aftermath of an attack. For example, Singapore's Religious Rehabilitation Group or RRG launched its Resource and Counselling Centre in July 2014. The RRG has produced pamphlets and online material to counter extremist ideology, in particular, the type that draws persons to fight in Syria and Iraq. Singapore will be hosting the East Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration on 16 to 17 April 2015 to share best practices and build capabilities among more than 20 participating countries to counter radical ideology.

Individual Singaporeans too play an important part in maintaining vigilance. If you notice any signs that a friend or family member has possibly been radicalised, you should alert the authorities. Acting pre-emptively could help stop them from harming themselves and protect others from being harmed. Through such alerts, we have already been able to refer young people who were becoming radicalised for religious counselling and to bring

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them back onto the correct path.

However, despite our best efforts, it is not possible to ensure that a terrorist attack will never succeed or happen in Singapore. I agree with Mr Hri Kumar and Mr Arthur Fong about the need to ensure that our society is ready to withstand a terrorist attack and maintain social cohesion and harmony in its aftermath. Madam, those who carry out such attacks seek to divide our society and strike fear in innocent people. If an incident were to occur, we must stand united as a community and condemn the violent acts of these particular individuals. Such extreme views do not reflect the beliefs of the wider community, and indeed are rejected by them. As Singaporeans, we must continue to build on what we have in common, rather than accentuate our differences. We must also carry on with our daily lives, reach out to each other, and not allow fear to paralyse our society.

Second, transnational and cybercrime. Globalisation has made it easier for criminal groups to plan criminal activities outside Singapore, carry them out here, and enjoy the proceeds of their crime elsewhere. With the Internet and electronic transfer of funds, criminals also find it easier to operate across borders, and to enter new markets. The Police and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) have recently dismantled several cross-border illegal moneylending and drug smuggling syndicates. Senior Minister of State Masagos will say more about our efforts to combat the drug menace later.

Cybercrime, in particular, is a new frontier. Several Members – Mr Hri Kumar and Mr Edwin Tong – spoke about this. Last year, we saw a sharp increase in online crimes. Cheating through e-commerce, Internet love scams and cyber extortion cases grew by 200% to 2,113 cases in 2014. Police will increase their public education efforts against cybercrime. For cheating crimes on the Internet, the victims themselves can take action to avoid them by being more vigilant and careful. Hence, we have education programmes to inoculate them against this.

Cybersecurity is also a concern as a growing number of critical systems, such as power generation and banking, are computer-controlled or connected to the Internet. Both Government and private entities around the world have been targets of cyberattacks by state and non-state actors. Sensitive information has been stolen or infiltrated systems damaged. "Hacktivists" have also been taking to cyberspace to disrupt services and spread fear and alarm to promote their causes.

We amended the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act in 2013 to enable the Government to take more effective and timely measures to prevent, detect and counter

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cyberattacks on essential services. After studying the matter carefully, we have also set up the National Cyber Security Centre in April 2014 to provide early detection capabilities and worked with stakeholders responsible for our critical information infrastructure to strengthen our overall cyberdefence capabilities.

To improve our national cyberdefence efforts, a new Cyber Security Agency under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will commence operating on 1 April 2015. My colleague, the Minister for Communications and Information, Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, has been appointed by the Prime Minister to be the Minister-in-charge of Cyber Security and will address these issues in greater detail in the debate on MCI's estimates, including Mr Tong's comments about the adequacy of experts.

Third, besides the security challenges of terrorism, and transnational and cybercrime, our changing domestic operating environment also places greater demands on the Home Team. As the number of citizens aged 65 years and above grew from about 318,000 in 2009 to 415,000 in 2014, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) saw a corresponding 31% increase in ambulance calls over the same five-year period. We expect demand for emergency medical services to rise further as the number of elderly citizens doubles to about 900,000 by 2030. We will also need new Police and fire stations to serve new towns and new commercial developments.

With more people travelling for work and leisure, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority or ICA saw more than 500,000 people passing through our checkpoints daily in 2014. That is 500,000 people every day crossing our checkpoints last year. This is an increase of about 33% from 2009. With Changi Airport Terminal 4 and the Rapid Transit System coming into operation, we expect the numbers to grow further in the coming years.

So, Madam, how do we deal with these challenges? Over the past two and a half years, the Home Team has been reviewing our strategic long-term plans, together with our partner agencies and also with MOF. The aim was to map out the strategies to address challenges facing the Home Team over the next five to 10 years and match them with the resources.

We will ensure that the Home Team is adequately resourced to implement these strategies and plans. Within the coming five-year period, we will add 2,000 more officers across the Home Team, and MHA's expenditure will increase from the current 1.1% of nominal GDP in FY2014 to around 1.3% of GDP. For FY2015, it will increase by 11.7% and reach 1.2% of GDP.

With greater certainty and a higher level of funding, we can make long-term plans, develop our forces more systematically, build stronger operational capabilities, as well as

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strengthen community partnerships.

I will elaborate on our plans in these three dimensions – making full use of the potential of our Home Team officers, significantly stepping up our investments to leverage on systems and technology and taking community partnerships to the next level.

First, making full use of the potential of our Home Team officers. Several Members, such as Mr Hri Kumar, Mr Arthur Fong and Dr Janil Puthucheary, asked about the Home Team's manpower resources. Over the last 10 years, manpower in the Home Team had grown from about 19,300 to 24,700 officers – that is 5,000 officers over 10 years. We will continue to grow these numbers judiciously and moderately. Over the next five years, we will add another 2,000 officers to the Home Team to cope with increasing traveller volumes, boost frontline policing and emergency medical services, and improve response to public order incidents and fires.

We have also made progress in expanding the Special Operations Command or SOC, something that Mr Hri Kumar asked about. The Police started recruiting additional officers last year and aim to recruit about 150 officers to the SOC by end-2015. And we expect that all 300 officers will be added to the SOC by 2017. This involves selecting very good people and making sure that they are well-trained and properly equipped. So, it takes a little bit of time.

Even though all of us would like to have more manpower, there are natural limits to how much we can grow the number of officers we have in the Home Team, given the smaller cohorts of young Singaporeans entering the workforce each year. We will partially address this issue by re-employing more of our officers. The retirement age for Home Team uniformed junior officers was extended in October 2013 to 55. We want our officers to continue working with us as long as they are fit and able to carry out their duties.

We will continue to provide opportunities for our Home Team officers to upgrade their capabilities, including sponsoring them for diploma and degree programmes and deepening their specialist skills. As we rely more on better qualified and trained officers, we will restructure our Home Team officers' careers to provide more opportunities to advance into the senior ranks. For example, the Police are studying ways to provide more seamless advancement opportunities for their officers. These measures will ensure that we continue to be an employer of choice and help us retain officers, particularly the good officers that we have.

We will also provide more comprehensive training and meaningful deployments for our National Service (NS) personnel. Our NSFs and NSmen already carry out frontline duties on

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a daily basis. At least two out of the four firefighters that you see in every SCDF fire vehicle responding to fires daily are full-time NSmen. From this year, we will deploy more SCDF NSmen who are back for their in-camp training to complement regular officers as frontline responders. So, when you see them responding to an emergency or fire, about half of them are full-time National Servicemen, our NSmen, responding to the call of duty every day.

Our Police NSFs and NSmen also patrol our neighbourhoods, coastal waters, airports and public transport network. The Police will assign more Police NSFs to frontline duties and better align full-time National Service with their corresponding NSmen roles.

Second, we will significantly step up our investments to leverage systems and technology as force multipliers. We expect to increase our development expenditure gradually from about 8% of the Ministry's total expenditure in the past five years to about 20% over the next five years. Together with comprehensive operating models and strategies, this will help our officers to do their work more effectively. We will allow technology to do the things that technology does better and have our officers do things where the officers themselves, through their personal interaction and judgement, can do better.

For example, the SCDF had brought its new command and control system into service at the end of 2013. The new Police command and control system, together with the new Police Operations Command Centre, commenced operations in November 2014. We will continue to improve and integrate our command-and-control systems so that we can build a consolidated situation picture and help our ground officers and our frontline officers when they are sent to the scene, to respond more quickly, precisely and effectively.

Footages from Police Cameras installed at the void decks of HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks have already led to the arrests of unlicensed moneylending harassers in 224 cases since 2012. Police Cameras have already been installed in over 4,000 HDB blocks, and installation in the remaining 5,000-plus blocks will be completed by end-2016. I am happy to say that residents have welcomed it and Members of the House, too, have told me that their residents welcomed it and, in fact, have asked me whether we can speed it up. But we are going about it as fast as we can. We will also build a new Police Divisional Headquarters and two fire stations in the next five years to meet increased demand from new towns and commercial centres.

Mr Edwin Tong and Ms Sylvia Lim asked about our checkpoints. We have completed several key measures recommended by the 2014 Ministry-level review committee. These will enhance security at our land checkpoints. We have introduced an integrated command and control structure to strengthen coordination among the officers from the various Home Team agencies operating at these checkpoints. In addition, 119 CCTV cameras have been installed to enhance coverage and monitoring at the checkpoints. Mobile crash barriers have

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been deployed as an additional line of defence to stop vehicles from dashing through. More than 1,000 additional CCTV cameras will be installed at both checkpoints by June 2017 for greater coverage. These cameras will be connected to a video analytics system to enhance the identification of vehicles and security threats, such as intrusions and unattended baggage. Other measures, such as double drop-arm barriers at the vehicle counters, crash-rated vehicle security barriers, anti-climb fences and anti-crash walls, will be implemented in phases over the next three years to minimise disruptions to the continuing checkpoint operations.

Madam, these initiatives form part of our overall strategy to use technology to keep our checkpoints secure, while facilitating timely clearance in the face of growing traveller and cargo volumes and, indeed, the growing security challenge. All 164 motorcycle counters at Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints will be automated by end-2016 compared to the 43 automated ones currently. These automated counters speed up motorcycle immigration clearance by up to 30% and help reduce congestion for all users of the checkpoints. Automation will also allow ICA to re-deploy officers to other critical tasks, such as screening travellers who may have a high-risk profile.

To further improve immigration clearance and border security, from April 2015, ICA will conduct a trial at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to capture the fingerprints of all arriving persons. The fingerprints are used to verify the traveller's identity before he is allowed entry to Singapore and will facilitate automated self-clearance during his departure from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. If the trial is successful, ICA will implement this system progressively at other checkpoints. This will make it easier, facilitate departure for visitors and Singaporeans and also help us save on manpower.

To handle the higher traveller volume at Woodlands Checkpoint, ICA will also operate 10 more car counters at the Old Woodlands Checkpoint by 2016. This is on top of the 40 car counters already at Woodlands Checkpoint and up to 20 additional car counters at Old Woodlands Checkpoint that currently operate during peak periods, Sundays and public holidays. We are also studying the medium- to long-term infrastructure needs at Woodlands Checkpoint and the new transit links across the Johor Straits.

MHA will also invest in our marine capabilities to safeguard our shores. More sea- and land-based barriers will be deployed to harden Singapore's coastline. We will equip Police Coast Guard with better surveillance and interception capabilities to deny intrusion and disable vessels carrying out illegal activities. MHA will also integrate the Police Coast Guard, ICA and SCDF marine command bases for better coordinated response to marine safety and security threats.

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Madam, the community plays a major role in keeping Singapore safe and secure. This includes building resilience to counter radicalisation and withstand any terrorist incident, fighting crime, helping youths in befriender programmes, keeping our roads safe, supporting the reintegration of ex-offenders, reducing the risks of fires, and responding to fire and medical emergencies. Many people have volunteered their time, contributed ideas, initiated programmes, responded to emergencies and reported crimes. And we thank every one of them for their help. We intend to build on this strong foundation of community involvement and take our community partnerships to the next level.

We will better organise, facilitate and support these community efforts, through programmes and platforms that, for example, encourage crowdsourcing. Technology can help us to do so in a sustainable and scalable manner. Beyond the PolCams that we have in all 10,000 HDB blocks and multistorey carparks, there are already some five million smartphone cameras in our own pockets and almost a million vehicles on the road, with an increasing number of them with cameras installed. The Police will take a major step to improve its existing platforms for members of the public to send in videos on traffic violations and crime-related information. This will also be a critical source of information should there be a major incident, such as after the 2013 Boston Marathon bomb attacks when Boston police made good use of videos from the public. Second Minister Iswaran will elaborate on this later.

We will also invest resources to make it easier for community responders to help. If someone has a cardiac arrest, there is no one who can provide help faster than the person who is right next to him. Swift and effective CPR from bystanders can significantly increase the victim's chances of survival. Since May 2012, SCDF's 995 emergency line has medical dispatchers and nurses to coach emergency callers over the phone to administer CPR for cardiac arrest victims in what are often the crucial minutes before medical assistance arrives. With telephone assistance, the proportion of cardiac arrest victims who received CPR from bystanders has more than doubled from 22% in 2011 to 47% in 2014. Senior Minister of State Masagos will say more about the major initiatives we are introducing for community partners to help save lives in a medical emergency, using both technology available today, as well as using people who want to be our partners.

As we prepare ourselves for the future, we must also recognise and honour our Pioneers who built a strong foundation for the Home Team. Over the past 50 years, our Home Team Pioneers have tackled serious security challenges, including terrorist acts, subversion, secret societies, major crimes, riots, drugs and major civil disasters and fires. They showed courage and determination and risked their lives to maintain Singapore's peace

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and security, and to strengthen our national unity and social harmony.

We want to pass on the values and ethos of our Pioneers to inspire new generations of Home Team officers. For this, we will be honouring our Home Team Pioneers, who embodied the spirit of pride, service, sacrifice and duty in their service to Singapore, with a special "Tribute to Home Team Pioneers" consisting of an exhibition and reception for our Pioneers in May this year. This highlight is part of a series of Home Team SG50 events, culminating in the Home Team Festival in November.

Mdm Chairperson, safety and security have been the foundation of our social stability and economic progress. The Home Team will continue to build on the strong foundation laid by our Pioneers. We will make timely investments to build a capable and future-ready Home Team, with committed and well-trained officers, who effectively use systems and technology, and take our partnership with the community to the next level. Through this inclusive and comprehensive approach, we can build a safe and secure home together.

Madam, community policing has been the cornerstone of our policing strategy for the past 30 years. Police has been able to keep our neighbourhoods safe and secure, and built a high level of trust with the community, through our network of Neighbourhood Police Centres or NPCs, Neighbourhood Police Posts or NPPs and ground officers.

The new Community Policing System or COPS was introduced in 2012 to enhance frontline policing within the community. Under COPS, Community Policing Unit officers are selected, trained and deployed to build ties with residents, and strengthen police presence within the community. Crime Strike Force officers have built up good ground networks with stakeholders within the community, thereby improving Police's ability to fight localised crime. By April 2015, all 35 NPCs would have adopted this new COPS model.

Our NPPs are also being revamped to provide round-the-clock automated police services, while our officers are more deeply engaged with the community. We have received good feedback from the three pilot NPPs at West Coast, Radin Mas and Marsiling. Six more NPPs will be revamped by the end of this year.

As part of the broader policing effort, we continue to explore new ways to use technology – a point which Ms Sylvia Lim has raised. PolCams are a case in point. They are being deployed in our HDB blocks. They help to deter and detect crime and allow us to deploy our police officers in frontline functions to focus on interacting with the community or investigations where the human touch, experience, instinct and judgement are key.

Since 2012, when Polcams were first installed, Police have progressively upgraded these cameras from standard to high definition, as the technology has improved, and the costs have moderated. Police can now obtain footage with sharper resolution, which thus enhances the effectiveness of Police investigations.

Over the past two and a half years, PolCams have been installed in more than 4,400 HDB blocks and multi-storey car parks across Singapore; more than 430 cases have been solved through PolCam footage, which also provided investigative leads in more than 890 cases. We are on track to install the PolCams in all 10,000 HDB blocks and multi-storey car

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parks by the end of next year.

Our frontline officers have also started to use body-worn cameras (BWCs) while frontline policing vehicles are equipped with In-Vehicle Video Recording System (IVVRS). My Police colleagues have kindly lent me this to show Members what the body-worn cameras look like. As Members can see, it is fairly light, compact, not very sinister looking. In fact, it is very friendly. The key elements in these are that it has recording capabilities in high definition; the recording can be encrypted; there will be an indicator light when the recording is on, so that members of the public know that a recording is taking place; and also, footage cannot be downloaded, edited or deleted by officers without the proper software and authorisation by the CEO of NPC. There are some very strong safeguard measures built into this.

The body-worn cameras and in-vehicle video recording system complement the existing forensic methods that aid police investigations and the gathering of evidence. With "live" streaming capability, they will also strengthen Police's incident management capabilities.

Of course, there is always the risk of information overload – Ms Sylvia Lim alluded to this. But we believe it is better to facilitate the flow of such information which can aid our crime detection and deterrent efforts and find efficient and effective ways to make sense of this data. This is why we have continued to enhance our data and video analytics capabilities to process large volumes of information. For example, Police currently use a video review tool which incorporates compression technology and analytics capabilities. Objects and persons of interest can be identified quickly and an hour-long video footage, for example, can be compressed such that critical events can be viewed quickly in a matter of minutes. This is an example of how we can use technology to gather the information. We can significantly reduce the time needed to process the information and this will enhance efficacy and productivity.

The third limb in our strategy is strengthening our community partnerships. It is a key aspect of COPS which has been given added impetus through the creation of Community Policing Units or CPU at the NPCs. CPU officers are chosen for their strong interpersonal skills, and their ability to communicate well. They are given training to enhance these skills.

Ms Tin Pei Ling asked about the role of community partners. Madam, community partnerships are indispensable to MHA's efforts to keep Singapore safe and secure. Time and again, both in Singapore and elsewhere, the role played by the community has been the key differentiating factor in the deterrence of, or response to, a crime or terrorist incident. A vigilant, prepared and resilient community is an invaluable partner and a powerful ally in the fight against any threat to our safety and security. Therefore, the Police's approach is to support and empower individuals and groups to take ownership of the safety and security

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of their homes and neighbourhoods.

The CPUs at our NPCs have reached out to residents, and many have stepped forward to form and participate in Neighbourhood Watch Groups and Citizens-on-Patrol groups. Some have also come forward to join our Volunteer Special Constabulary and partner our regular officers to perform frontline policing duties.

Our fight against unlicensed moneylending or UML is one example of how we have adopted these strategies to address specific crime concerns with some success. In 2009, there were about 18,000 UML cases. To tackle this scourge, we strengthened legislation by amending the Moneylenders Act in 2010 and enhanced Police's capabilities to deal with UML. Specialised units at CID and at the Divisional level were established to lead the effort and guide enforcement and preventive efforts. Police Cameras deterred potential harassers and provided crucial evidence for follow-up investigations.

Our community partners also played an important part through the work and vigilance of the Neighbourhood Watch Groups and members of public. Some have initiated other commendable efforts. For example, Sembawang NPC and the Nee Soon Town Council have worked together to train conservancy workers to look out for loan shark runners and other illicit activities in the community. It is this concerted and collective effort that has led to a substantial 67.8% decline in UML cases over the last five years to about 6,000 in 2014.

The increase in cybercrime is another area of concern which Mr Edwin Tong and Mr Vikram Nair have highlighted. Last year, we saw a sizeable increase in the number of crimes committed online, especially cases of cheating through e-commerce. Many of these involve scammers who impersonated sellers on online platforms to deceive victims into buying goods that would never be delivered.

The crimes themselves may not be new but the medium has changed. Criminals and syndicates are adapting their modus operandi to exploit the opportunities arising from the ubiquity and the anonymity of the Internet. Individuals from all walks of life have fallen victim to these ruses, including well-educated and tech-savvy professionals.

Compared to the more conventional types of crime, online crimes also pose a different set of challenges to our law enforcement agencies. First, they are often transnational in nature, involving perpetrators based overseas. Second, these funds can be transferred almost instantly leaving the victims with little recourse. Third, given the nature of the

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Internet, there is no shortage of tools and applications to cover one's tracks.

Police all over the world are grappling with the difficulties of tracing, apprehending and bringing the perpetrators of cybercrimes to justice, as well as to recover lost monies. That is why we need to emphasise education and prevention – the dictum of caveat emptor has never been more relevant. Just as we would exercise due care for our safety and property in the real world, we should have similar care and vigilance in the virtual world – be wary about buying items when prices are too good to be true, because they often are; refrain from financial transactions or the exchange of personal information with people whom we do not know; and be careful when befriending strangers on the Internet.

The Police have taken active steps to educate the public on online crimes and raise awareness of common methods of online scammers. As part of the Anti-Scam Public Education Campaign, the National Crime Prevention Council and the Police have launched a website at www.scamalert.sg to raise awareness of the common scams in Singapore. They also do other outreach through roadshows, posters and so on.

We are also building our capabilities to deal with cybercrime. Police will establish a new Cybercrime Command within the Criminal Investigation Department or CID. The Cybercrime Command will specalise in cyber-investigations, digital forensics and cybercrime policy. Investigation officers and digital forensic officers specialising in cybercrime investigations will also be deployed at each of the six Land Divisions by the end of this year. This will ensure that our frontline units are equipped with the necessary skills to investigate cybercrime cases.

Beyond this, the Police will continue to work closely with international and regional law enforcement agencies and industry stakeholders. In the region, Singapore leads the ASEAN Cybercrime Working Group, which provides a platform for regional capacity building and information sharing. Police will also work with INTERPOL's new Digital Crime Centre, located in Singapore, to develop digital forensics and new solutions to tackle cybercrime.

Mdm Chair, given the complex operating environment and rapidly evolving crime threats, it is imperative that Police have the necessary capabilities, resources and powers to fight crime through information gathering, investigation and, eventually, bringing the perpetrators of crime to justice. Let me assure Mr Gerald Giam that we take the safeguarding of information obtained by Police very seriously. Police are empowered under the Criminal Procedure Code or CPC to collect the necessary information to support investigations into criminal activities. Such information may be shared with other Government agencies only if provided for under the law. And whether it is PolCam images or, as I have just shared with you, in the case of the body-worn cameras, specific steps are taken and built-in measures

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put in place, in order to make sure the data is well safeguarded.

Internally, the Police have in place strict security protocols governing the use of and access to data. There are stringent guidelines, standard operating procedures and system security features to guard against data breaches and the misuse of data. The system is also subject to regular audits. We have zero tolerance for the misuse of Police data and will take firm action against anyone who does so.

Madam, let me conclude by returning to the point on community engagement. To take community partnerships to the next level, we need to create new platforms and enabling technologies to make it easier for Singaporeans, especially a younger generation who are more tech-savvy, to come forward to work with and help the Home Team.

So, we are extending our outreach in the online space. Apart from being an effective means to reach out to the community with crime alerts and public education messages, the value of social media lies in its ability to facilitate the crowdsourcing of information that can help Police in its day-to-day work and its investigation into crime. Every smartphone, GoPro camera and in-vehicle recording systems, they can all be put to good use and they are potentially a very valuable source of information. Police will provide the platforms and portals to enable this.

We are encouraged by the response to the Facebook pages set up by the various NPCs in the last two years. Together with the SPF Facebook page, more than 20 cases have been solved through Facebook appeals. So, it is not just a medium for social interaction but it can also help us in some very meaningful and important work in terms of preserving the safety and security of our neighbourhoods.

Police have also set up the CrimeStopper and the Traffic Police's "E-Feedback on Road Users" online portal. This allows for almost real-time reporting of incidents, and is convenient for members of the public because they can make these reports without having to go to a Police station and do it from anywhere literally. Police are able to then use the videos and pictures sent by the public as objective evidence to facilitate investigations.

We are seeing more members of the public providing information to the Police via CrimeStopper, with a 63% increase from 1,121 cases in 2013 to 1,832 cases in 2014. Since December last year, Traffic Police have also received almost 100 videos of traffic violations. Depending on your perspective, you would see that as a plus or a minus. But I think from an overall law enforcement perspective, this is an example of how we are trying to bring together various resources that reside within the community, in order to ensure we are able

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to undertake effective enforcement.

I want to encourage more to come forward and use these avenues to help solve crime together. Taken together, these programmes and crowdsourcing initiatives will enable us to take community partnerships to a new level. It lends itself to a more dynamic, two-way partnership that strengthens interaction, collaboration and the flow of information between the Police and the community, thereby empowering the community to play a more active role in keeping our neighbourhoods safe and secure.

Mdm Chair, Singaporeans have placed their trust in the ability of the Home Team to keep Singapore safe and secure. This is a trust that has been painstakingly built over many years through the work of our Home Team departments and officers, much of this taking place quietly behind the scenes. As our operating environment becomes more complex and the nature of crime continues to evolve, we must never take our safety and security for granted. In the Home Team, we will continue to invest in new capabilities, harness technology and work with the community to build a strong and future-ready Home Team that will help keep Singapore safe and secure.

Mdm Chair, I will now speak on the drug situation in Singapore, road safety and the Home Team's efforts in community partnerships.

First, an update on the overall drug situation, which Mr Edwin Tong asked about. The international and regional drug situation continues to be challenging, with higher production, higher trafficking and higher consumption of heroin and methamphetamine. International drug syndicates have also formed networks within Southeast Asia to manufacture, receive and distribute drugs to the region. So, Mr Edwin Tong is right – this has increased supply and led to a drop in drug prices. Unfortunately, Singapore remains a major destination for these drugs, either for transhipment or for imports.

The Central Narcotics Bureau or CNB has maintained its enforcement tempo. In 2014, CNB dismantled 21 drug syndicates and seized about $8 million worth of drugs. Among the drugs seized last year was 35 kilogrammes of cannabis, a 10-year high. This 35 kilogrammes of cannabis can feed more than 5,000 addicts for a week.

On the demand side, there are two worrying trends. First, the proportion of younger drug abusers has increased. Of the total drug abusers arrested in 2014, 34% were below the age of 30, up from 29% in 2010. Among new abusers arrested, two-thirds were below the age of 30, up from half in 2010. The educational profile of abusers arrested is also changing, with more from institutions of higher learning. Second, we are arresting more cannabis

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abusers, with 184 abusers arrested in 2014. The number may be small but this is a 50% increase over five years. The majority of cannabis abusers are young people aged below 30.

Given these challenges, it is important that Singapore maintains a zero-tolerance approach against drugs. Zero tolerance means that we strongly reject the scourge of drugs and do not condone its presence in our society. Zero tolerance means that we tackle both drug supply and demand. We take a tough stance against those who wish to profit off drug addicts but, at the same time, we rehabilitate those who consume drugs, even as we take firm action against repeat abusers. I am glad that the community has given its strong support to tackle the drug situation firmly.

Other countries have chosen a different approach. Because they could not keep drug abuse low, they moved on to address secondary problems arising from drug abuse. They have, for example, opiate substitution programmes to help drug abusers to stay socially functioning, or needle exchange programmes to minimise the spread of HIV. Some states in the US have even decriminalised drug possession to alleviate prison overcrowding. These initiatives do not treat the underlying drug addiction.

Singapore is different. Our tough drug laws keep our streets largely free from drugs and save lives. More importantly, our laws have kept crime low and deterred organised drug syndicates from operating in Singapore. Let us keep it that way.

Allow me now to focus on youths and the worrying trend of a rise in youth drug abusers arrested, though the absolute numbers are still small. I currently co-chair a Taskforce on Youths and Drugs with Minister of State Sim Ann, which was set up to tackle the youth drug abuse problem head-on. We will release our findings and recommendations later this year. The recommendations will build on our current comprehensive approach to tackling drug abuse among youths, and this comprises Preventive Drug Education or PDE, effective enforcement and early, targeted intervention for youth abusers.

Upstream, PDE will continue to be our first line of defence in the war against drugs. We must continue to communicate our strong anti-drug message clearly, and in an engaging and better way that resonates with our youths.

Youths may have the impression that cannabis is a "soft" drug. This is not true. Heroin and methamphetamine addicts in our prisons in Singapore have been known to start their addiction with these drugs with cannabis.

Cannabis, also known as marijuana, weed, or ganja, is addictive and harmful. It is especially harmful to young people and has been linked to impairments in brain

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development, psychomotor skills and even cognitive decline with a drop in IQ. The applications of cannabis for managing pain and epilepsy have also not been clinically proven. There are safer and more effective alternatives.

Next, CNB will continue to maintain its high tempo of enforcement amid a rapidly evolving operating environment. We are constantly on the lookout for emerging drug trends. Let me share some examples.

First, with the rise in e-commerce, some have tried to order drugs online. CNB is watching this development closely. We will intercept suspicious packages and prosecute those who conduct drug transactions online.

Second, some youths, when travelling overseas, have been experimenting with drugs because they think that they are beyond the reach of our laws. CNB performs checks at our checkpoints and airports and has taken action against individuals found to have consumed drugs overseas.

Third, we are keeping an eye on music events. This is after several youths and young adults, including one Singaporean, died from suspected drug overdose at music events held in this region last year.

Finally, we have enhanced our early intervention programmes for youth drug abusers of different risk profiles. In the past two years, we have introduced the Youth Enhanced Supervision Scheme for first-time low-risk youth abusers and the Community Rehabilitation Centre for those at moderate risk of relapsing to drugs. These new programmes are more targeted and take into account the individual circumstances of abusers.

We must do all we can to prevent our youths from being tempted by drugs and ensure that those who take drugs do not relapse. All this is possible only if our youths are resilient, possess the will to change and take individual responsibility for their actions. Only then, we can save our youths from drugs and work towards a drug-free society in Singapore.

Mdm Chair, Mr Hri Kumar asked about skills upgrading and employment outcomes for inmates. The Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises or SCORE provides skills training to inmates during their incarceration, and this is aligned to the national Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) framework to improve their employability upon release.

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SCORE also helps inmates with longer sentences secure employment before their release. This follows through from the training received in prison as an important part of their reintegration process. Those with sentences of less than one year though, who comprise the majority of releases each year, are typically not offered assistance, as they have not been out of the workforce for very long. Post-release though, regardless of sentence length, all ex-offenders can approach SCORE for employment assistance and job matching. However, we only track the employment outcomes of inmates who approach SCORE for assistance. The outcomes have generally been positive. Other than skills training and employment assistance by SCORE, the Yellow Ribbon Project has significantly changed the community's perception of ex-offenders. Ultimately, the onus is on the individual to take charge of his rehabilitation.

Mdm Chair, let me now address Dr Janil Puthucheary and Mr Ang Wei Neng's questions on road safety. In 2014, although injury accidents increased slightly, the number of fatal traffic accidents and fatalities continued to fall. Overall, we have seen improvements in our road traffic situation and our road fatality rate has decreased by more than 50% over the past two decades. More can still be done to improve road safety. The Safer Roads Singapore action plan aims to foster a culture of safe and courteous road use, through a three-pronged strategy of enforcement, education and engagement.

On enforcement, our sustained efforts have improved the drink-driving and red-running situation. Even with an increase in the number of drink-driving enforcement operations conducted, I am glad that the number of persons arrested for drink-driving actually fell from 3,019 in 2013 to 2,954 in 2014. The number of fatal accidents involving drink-driving also declined from 14 in 2013 to 10 in 2014.

The Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the effectiveness of red light cameras and we hope to do the same for speeding. The number of speeding violations detected increased by 6.5% since 2013 to about 280,000 violations in 2014. The number of fatal accidents involving speeding also increased from 39 in 2013 to 42 in 2014. The Traffic Police have begun installing 20 new digital speed enforcement cameras across 11 locations islandwide starting this week, and we will step up enforcement against speeding. I have personally seen drivers slowing down when approaching traffic junctions, as the traffic lights turn amber, as they are aware of the cameras, or if they think there is one. I am thankful that our motorists have been responsive. I hope that they will also regulate their speed on the roads. Together, we can reduce accidents and save lives.

I agree with Mr Ang Wei Neng on the need to ensure that heavy vehicle drivers are also safe drivers. We have kept up the enforcement tempo against heavy vehicles, and the number of accidents involving heavy vehicles has remained stable over the last five years. But we can do more. Larger heavy vehicles are also required to install speed limiters, which

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are regularly inspected.

On top of this, we introduced additional speed limiter inspections for those caught speeding. Since then, the number of such heavy vehicles caught multiple times for speeding in a given year declined from 270 in 2013 to 230 in 2014. The total number of heavy vehicle speeding violations also decreased from 1,953 in 2013 to 1,743 in 2014. We will continue keeping a close watch on the situation. Speed limiter or no speed limiter, we expect all our heavy vehicle drivers to drive responsibly. We agree with Mr Ang and work with LTA to explore better methods and better technologies for this purpose.

Overall, when it comes to enforcement, we will deal firmly but fairly with those who flout our traffic rules. Traffic offences pose a serious danger to other road users. For compoundable offences, the Traffic Police have the authority to issue a composition fine and, where required by law, demerit points, in lieu of court prosecution. Therefore, it saves the offenders the hassle of going through the court process. These penalties will not be waived even upon appeal to the Traffic Police, unless there are very strong extenuating factors which can be substantiated. Should the motorist disagree with the decision, he should present his case to the Court, rather than submitting his appeal to the Traffic Police.

On public education, vulnerable road user groups, such as children and elderly pedestrians, remain a priority. Last year, the Traffic Police reached out to more than 45,000 students to teach them good road safety habits. The Traffic Police and the Singapore Road Safety Council also organised two Road Safety Concerts for the Golden Age in 2014, reaching out to more than 2,000 seniors.

On engagement, the Government has partnered the transport and logistics industry through the Safer Roads Industry Taskforce to promote safer driving among vocational drivers. We will release the recommendations later this year.

Ultimately, the efforts of the Government alone are not enough. All road users must exercise individual responsibility and practise safe and courteous road use. The Traffic Police will, in the coming months, launch a new road safety campaign to encourage all road users to "Use Your RoadSense". This campaign encourages all road users, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, to be more patient and careful on the road.

Mdm Chair, finally, Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Arthur Fong spoke about the need for strong community partnerships. We have built up and developed community volunteer programmes in many areas over the years.

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As the Deputy Prime Minister said, we must now take community partnerships to the next level by helping the community take ownership of its issues and facilitating those who are prepared to play their part. We believe that people are innately willing to help others in need. The Government will do more to encourage and enable more members of the community to play their part, whether it is to be vigilant against terrorism, to fight crime, to deter harassment by illegal moneylenders, or to save lives. We will facilitate this in a systematic and comprehensive way. The Second Minister spoke earlier on how the Police's crowdsourcing initiatives have empowered the community to help detect and deter crime. Our existing community involvement initiatives, like the Yellow Ribbon Community Project and Community Befrienders, are running well. I would now like to touch on how community partnerships will transform our approach towards emergency response.

In any emergency, the first few minutes are crucial. The best first responder in such situations is the bystander. For example, in the case of a cardiac arrest, rapid and effective CPR and AED intervention from bystanders increases the chances of survival by as much as 30%. SCDF has empowered bystanders to provide immediate CPR assistance by changing the script of our 995 operators from "Do you know how to do CPR" to "I need you to help administer CPR". Since the change, the proportion of cardiac arrest victims who receive CPR from bystanders has more than doubled from 22% in 2011 to 47% in 2014.

We will go beyond these episodic interventions. Under SCDF's "Save a Life" initiative, we will train, equip, and organise a network of community responders that will be able to respond quickly and effectively to cardiac arrest cases in the community. It is imperative that we do so as our population ages and a significant proportion of cardiac arrest cases take place at home. We hope to launch the initiative in all constituencies by end-2018. For a start, we will carry out a pilot later this year in six constituencies – Bedok, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Pasir Ris West, Radin Mas and Tampines West. In particular, I would like to thank Dr Teo Ho Pin for acknowledging the need for such an initiative and volunteering for it during the Budget Debate. SCDF is already in touch with the grassroots leaders in his Bukit Panjang constituency and we will work closely with his constituency on implementation.

Let me explain how this programme will work. First, in partnership with MOH, we will grow the pool of community responders. All volunteers will be trained to administer CPR and operate AEDs. No prior medical training or background is necessary. Second, we will make AEDs more accessible at HDB blocks. For a start, we will install them at the lift lobbies of every two to three HDB blocks in the pilot constituencies. Third, SCDF has developed a new myResponder App that alerts users to cardiac arrest cases nearby and locates the nearest AEDs. With the "Save a Life" initiative, the person who responds to your cardiac arrest can be your friend, can be your neighbour, or even your son or daughter. This is possible when we train our volunteers, equip them properly and then link them to those who need their

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help.

We will also help the community organise itself to take greater ownership of its security and emergency response. SCDF and SPF will soon launch the pilot of the Neighbourhood Active Responder Programme or NEAR in two constituencies, in Tampines East and Tampines West. NEAR represents a fundamental shift in the roles that volunteers play in the community – from passive to active first responders. It complements the "Save a Life" initiative. NEAR volunteers will be trained to respond to residential fire incidents and medical cases requiring first aid treatment, including cardiac arrest cases. On weekends, when activated, they will respond to these emergencies in bicycles equipped with a combination of a first aid kit, AED, fire extinguishers and smoke evacuation hoods.

They will also patrol their estate and be on the lookout for suspicious characters and crimes in progress. About 100 persons have thus far stepped forward to volunteer and we hope to implement this programme in more and in all constituencies.

The safety and security of our community is our collective responsibility. Community partnerships have a tremendous multiplier effect on the Home Team's efforts. Our volunteers are a dedicated and passionate group, comprising individuals of all ages and from all walks of life. I commend their tireless contributions and sacrifice, and look forward to many more members of the community joining us to do their part to keep neighbourhoods and Singapore safe and secure.

Mdm Chair, Singapore remains safe and secure because of the hard work put in by the Home Team. We must not take this for granted. As the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned, we will augment the Home Team with more manpower and resources, and invest in systems and technology. Community partnerships are the third pillar to this strategy and we will take our partnership to the next level in the coming years. Together, these three pillars will form our overall strategy going forward to ensure Singapore remains safe and secure.

Madam, I have two clarifications for Deputy Prime Minister Teo and one for Minister Iswaran. First of all, for Deputy Prime Minister Teo, earlier, he mentioned about the plans for MHA to enhance its manpower numbers. He mentioned over a five-year period that there will be 2,000 more officers across MHA. I would like him to clarify whether he is talking about new recruits and is it just restricted to uniformed officers or does it include civilians. And, at the same time, later on in his speech, he mentioned 19,000 to 24,000. Could he clarify where these numbers are going to come from and is it

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over the same five-year period as well?

The second question for the Deputy Prime Minister Teo is on Checkpoint security. I would like to ask whether the Ministerial Committee appointed last year has completed its work already and whether its report is purely internal or a version of it will be made public.

For Minister Iswaran, it is on the issue of cameras and video recording. I would like to ask about the body-worn cameras.

First of all, whether they are actually going to be issued to all officers in uniforms attending to cases or is it just on selective basis?

Secondly, what would be the trigger for the camera to be turned on? Is the officer supposed to exercise on judgement to decide when it is necessary to record the footage? Is it to protect himself if he senses potential problems or is it an SOP that it should be turned on in certain kinds of cases?

Third of all, I would like to ask Minister Iswaran whether the Police would review its stance not to video record statements recorded from accused during Police investigations. I know the Police's position on this. But, personally, I feel that it is something that is worth doing because it not only protects the integrity of the statement recording process during investigation and protects the accused to make sure the statement is accurate, it also, very importantly, protects the Police against frivolous allegations of abuse or accusations of malpractice.

Mdm Chairperson, perhaps there were too many numbers. I will read them again for the benefit of Ms Lim. Over the last 10 years, manpower in the Home Team has grown from about 19,300 to 24,700. That is more than 5,000 officers over the last 10 years, and we will continue to grow these numbers. Over the next five years, we will add another 2,000 officers to the Home Team across all the Home Team agencies. These include uniformed officers as well as non-uniformed officers.

On the checkpoints review, yes, they have completed the review and submitted the report to me. The report is an internal report because it covers many security-related issues, which are not appropriate to put out in public.

Madam, I thank the Member for her questions. The first set of question pertained to how the body-worn cameras will be used and in what sort of circumstances

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would it be turned on.

First, it is a process of roll-out at the moment, but there will be certain SOPs established. I would say that in general, the approach is: it should be switched on at all times unless there are specific circumstances under which you are authorised on the SOP not to have it switched on. For example, if they are investigating something very sensitive, maybe a sexual assault case or something like that, then, there may be some exceptions. Those are certain areas which they may be specifically excluded. Because if you have too much arbitrariness, then I think the value of it as a source of evidence will also be diminished.

In terms of whom, primarily, it would be the patrol officers. The intention is to have all patrol officers put on the body-worn cameras, because these are our people on the front line. For all the good reasons that have cited elsewhere as well, it is important that our officers have this capability with them.

In terms of what the Member's final point was on the video recording of statements: this is something that is being studied and we will be able to give an update in due course.

Thank you, Mdm Chair. I have a clarification for Minister Iswaran. I am pleased that MHA has responded to my call to set up a dedicated cyber crime unit. I have made this call in my past Parliamentary Questions or PQs over the last half a year. This dedicated crime unit, which is now called Cybercrime Command, is sited in the CID as well as in the Division. I have also noted the education effort to fight cybercrime. Could MHA also consider working with the ISPs to put up online ads at the appropriate website to remind people not to fall into cybercrime?

The other question I have is: I have noted that the retiring age of a Police officer is 55 years old, not the senior officer but the Police officer, would MHA consider extending the retirement age for those officers who are still fit, or re-employ them in a bigger number if they are still fit?

Madam, I thank the Member for his question and also his persistence and perseverance with respect to this matter over the years, as he has pointed out. Specifically, the Member's question was whether we would be able to enlist the help of the ISPs in order to enhance the alertness and awareness. That is something that we will certainly consider working with. At the end of the day, the nature of this crime and trend is such that we do need all hands on deck in order to achieve the best possible outcome in terms of preventing its recurrence and growth. We will enlist all the help that we can get.

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Having said that, there would be certain practical limitations and we have to see how this can pan out in practice.

The other question the Member pose was whether the retirement age could be extended. It is something we have considered and the answer is yes.