When Mr Tan Kok Wah decided on a career switch to become a policeman at the age of 25, some people tried to change his mind.

"They told me, Mr Tan, your character is so soft, how can you be a policeman?" he said.

But the former sales supervisor at a department store put his soft skills and affable nature to good use, especially during his stint at the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP).

Mr Tan, who retired this year at 62, fondly remembered the years he spent at the NPP, from 1995 to 2001.

It is the only two-storey police post in Singapore, and one of nine sites on the newly launched Police Heritage Trail. It was also arguably one of the busiest NPPs, as it served a wide variety of "customers", recalled Mr Tan.

During the day, businessmen from the Central Business District would pop over to file reports on crimes in the office. In the evening, however, officers would attend to disputes or manage rowdy crowds at the nightlife establishments in Circular Road, said Mr Tan, whose last rank was senior staff sergeant.

The officers would also patrol residential estates in Chinatown and attend to residents' complaints or reports, he added.

It was here that Mr Tan shone as a neighbourhood policeman, patrolling the area often and checking in on residents. The good rapport he built with the residents made it easier for him to keep the peace and fight crime, as people would approach him and accept his advice.

"I think the NPP system allowed the police to have a more personal touch when policing," said Mr Tan.