Started in 1997, ECS allows members of the public to contact the police via an intercom system which puts them in touch with an officer at a division headquarters. It was introduced when NPP counters stopped round-the-clock services. Instead, counter service hours were shortened to 12pm to 10pm daily.

Police said the ECS has outlived its usefulness, as there are now other more effective ways of contacting the police, for example, through the use of handphones, In 2007, less than 100 calls were made via the ECS. Only four were urgent and required immediate police assistance.

Since the ECS was implemented, calls made to the police via cellphones have increased by about five times, from 19.3 per cent in 1997 to 110.7 per cent in 2007.

With the ECS decommissioned, the public can make free '999' calls from public phones or cellphones to contact the police. They can also make police reports at any one of 32 Neighbourhood Police Centres which operate round the clock.

Members of the public may also lodge reports for non-urgent cases, such as loss of property, using the electronic police centre at http://www.spf.gov.sg/epc/ePCLinks.html.

The ECS is expected to be completely decommissioned by Jan 1.