Commissioner Khoo Boon Hui

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased to join you for this 5^th international seminar on ‘The Koban System of Japan and its Adaptation as the Neighbourhood Police Post System in Singapore’.

2 It is with a tinge of sadness that, as with previous batches, I join you today. Why? Because this is the final seminar organised in collaboration with the Government of Japan as part of the Japan-Singapore Partnership Programme. Let me take this opportunity to thank the Government of Japan for co-hosting this Seminar over the past 4 years.

3 The good news, however, is that we have come far since the launch of this programme. Community policing is the cornerstone of Singapore Police Force’s strategy. By working in close partnership with the community, the Police have been able to keep crime rates low, making Singapore one of the safest cities in the world. Members of the public have helped to make about one-third of arrests for major offences. In fact, in the first six months of this year, the percentage of public assisted arrests rose to almost 44 per cent. This achievement is something all living in Singapore can be proud of.

4 This is a very healthy sign. The significant number of public-assisted arrests is an important indicator of the success of our community policing strategy. This success can be attributed mainly to our Neighbourhood Police Centre (or NPC for short) and Neighbourhood Police Post (or NPP) system. To date, there are 10 NPCs, with the rest of the NPPs converting to NPCs nationwide by year 2001.

5 The NPC is a one-stop total policing centre that provides the full range of police services such as fast response, investigation, proactive policing and counter services. As compared to the NPP system set up in 1983, officers in the NPC system handle the entire service process - from the point of response to a crime to on-scene investigation, until the case is concluded.

6 One key strength of the NPC system is the enhanced level of proactive policing through activities such as patrols, community liaison, crime prevention, house visits and joint problem-solving. Through these, the NPC system strengthens the community’s trust and confidence in the Police. It brings us a step closer to becoming a world-class Police Force.

7 The NPC system takes community policing a step further by engaging residents in Community Safety and Security Programmes. These programmes are our joint action plans with the grassroots and community organisations. Through such programmes, residents take greater ownership and responsibility for the safety and security issues of their neighbourhood – issues which are specific to their neighbourhood, which they know well.

8 This spirit of self-help and mutual support brings us closer towards achieving enhanced community safety for Singapore. This approach is in-line with the Singapore 21 Vision where citizens take an active part in the nation’s development, rather than be mere observers.

9 The NPC system provides an enhanced job scope for our officers and enables them to widen their horizons. This is important in view of the increasing educational level of our population. The frontline NPC officers now take on more challenging tasks such as on-scene investigations and interviewing victims of crime.

10 Further, the NPC system provides a systematic structure for continuous learning both as individual officers and as a team. The structure includes After-Action Review (or AAR) sessions where officers engage in dialogue, share information, learn from one another’s experience and participate in collective thinking. In short, the NPC system provides an excellent working environment for our officers.

11 The four NPCs piloted in Clementi Police Division during the 1997-1998 period have been a success. Better manpower deployment enabled enhanced police patrol coverage during crime-prone hours of darkness. The enhanced police presence deterred potential criminals and improved response time to assistance calls. Service standards have also improved because the NPC is a convenient one-stop service point. Community-police liaison has strengthened with NPC teams taking ownership of the precincts under their charge.

12 An internal survey among officers working in the NPCs has found that the NPC system is conducive to building strong relationships amongst the officers. More officers welcomed the enhanced job scope and have greater satisfaction in their work. As compared to the NPP system, the NPCs offer a superior working environment.

13 These early successes are encouraging. They confirm that we are on the right track and have provided learning lessons for the Police to implement 32 NPCs islandwide by the year 2001.

14 Just as all of you will adapt the NPP system to circumstances in your own countries, we in Singapore have evolved the NPP into the NPC approach. NPP was a key early platform to reach out to the community. With this trust and collaborative spirit built up over the years, the NPC system will now spearhead Singapore’s community policing strategy into the next century.

15 It is our pleasure and honour to host this seminar. I am sure that this seminar gives all of you the opportunity to discuss ideas, share insights, and inspire each other to enhance policing in your respective countries. This seminar is also an avenue for you to meet up and continue interaction among yourselves in the international policing community. I wish you a fruitful week of discussion before you proceed to Japan for the second part of the seminar.

Thank you.