SINGAPORE - Residents in the northern, north-east and western parts of Singapore can look forward to better policing services from Sunday (Nov 25), as the Woodlands Police Division begins operations.

With this new division, there will be three police land divisions serving the needs of residents in those areas, including new estates in Punggol and Tengah. The other two are Ang Mo Kio and Jurong Police Divisions.

The new division comprises five Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs): Woodlands East, Woodlands West, Sembawang, Yishun North and Yishun South.

Woodlands East and Woodlands West NPCs were formerly under Jurong Police Division, while the other three were under Ang Mo Kio Police Division.

Woodlands Police Division will open for business at 8am on Sunday. Its headquarters is at 1 Woodlands Street 12, where the Woodlands West NPC and the Enforcement Division (Woodlands) of the Central Narcotics Bureau are also located.

Woodlands West NPC will be moving there from its current premises at 9 Marsiling Lane.

The Woodlands Police Division - the seventh land division in Singapore - will be headed by Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police (DAC) Leon Chan.

The 38-year-old joined the Singapore Police Force in 1999 and has served for 19 years.

He previously held key appointments such as commanding officer of Orchard NPC, and assistant director for research, planning and organisational development at the Criminal Investigation Department.

DAC Chan was also deputy commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, project director of Woodlands Police Division headquarters and deputy director of special projects in the Police Logistics Department.