More police cameras to be installed across Singapore

Singapore will install more police cameras islandwide in the next few years, as the Home Team continues to use technology to enhance its operations.

Describing such cameras as a "game changer", Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam revealed yesterday that they have helped solve more than 4,900 cases here as at last December.

Since 2012, almost 90,000 police cameras have been installed in major public locations, housing estates, neighbourhood centres and carparks, he said during the debate on the Ministry of Home Affairs' budget.

"Surveys have shown that people feel safer with the prominent placement of police cameras in their neighbourhoods. In the next several years, I promise that many more cameras will be installed across the island," he said, adding that this will depend on the country's budget situation.

In his speech, Mr Shanmugam set out various initiatives by Home Team agencies to tap technology as their manpower needs grow.

He said the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) has been developing expertise in data centres and cloud-based technology, and will expand the scope of a security operations centre that provides round-the-clock protection for systems and networks here.

He noted that the HTX will need to hire a few hundred scientists and engineers over the next few years, while the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will need more ambulances and officers to attend to the growing number of medical emergencies.

The police will also need to expand the deployment of their quick-response teams to patrol locations in Singapore with high footfall, so that they can swiftly respond to armed terrorist attacks.

More investigation officers will also be needed because of the current high workload and increasingly complex cases.

Hiring more officers will help manage the amount of work, said Mr Shanmugam in response to Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok).

Mr Shanmugam added: "Police are currently undertaking an internal review of their systems, processes and structures, to see how we can better support our investigators."

The police and the Central Narcotics Bureau are also digitalising their investigation and case management systems, he said.

This entails automating and streamlining these systems so that officers can access information and update cases on the go, saving them time on handling paperwork and administrative tasks.

The SCDF will make greater use of sensors and automation to help with manpower management, operation response and decision-making.

The new Punggol Fire Station, which is still under construction, will be the first of the force's next-generation smart fire stations with these features.

To reduce the stigma on prison inmates in the community, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) is developing a tracking device that looks like a digital watch to replace the current ankle tag. This comes as the SPS allows more inmates to serve the tail end of their sentences in the community.

Mr Shanmugam said this new device, which is more discreet, aims to help supervisees reintegrate into society as they abide by curfews and movement restrictions.

SPS is also developing a mobile app for inmates in the community to reinforce their learning and rehabilitation, he added.

Urging the Government to do better for the less IT-savvy, Dr Tan cited two Clementi residents' experiences. One wanted to get a licence to be a security officer and was told to submit an application online, but he does not have a computer. The other resident could not go online to apply for his wife to be a permanent resident on the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's website. After appealing for help, he was redirected back to the e-service system.

"It can be regressive when digitalisation of services makes it harder for the less well-off, less literate, less IT-savvy to go online," said Dr Tan.

This may be a good time to revisit the 1989 White Paper on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony, which sought to deal with insensitive proselytisation, said the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr Singh said radicalism and extremism are also subjects that deserve closer attention today.

He highlighted "the critical point" of the paper, which said that the purpose of separating religion from politics is not to determine the validity of religions or ethical beliefs, but rather to establish working rules in which multiple faiths can accept differences between them and coexist peacefully.

Mr Faisal called on the Ministry of Home Affairs to consider allowing instalment payments for traffic fines specifically for low-income first-time offenders who are beneficiaries of financial assistance schemes such as ComCare.

He said that this would not lessen the intended effect of fines as offenders would still have to bear the full amount of the fine. Such compassionate consideration will prevent further aggravation of their financial struggles, he added.

The point when offenders are incarcerated can be very destabilising for families said Ms Nadia, who acknowledged that the Yellow Ribbon Community Project and Family and Inmates Through-care Assistance Haven have provided support for inmates and their families.

She questioned if the Government would consider more targeted intervention that could be used to monitor and break cycles of inter-generational offenders. She also asked if more measures could be put in place to better support their families.