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S'pore police force with strong public trust takes stock as it marks bicentennial

A 2020 IPS survey found that 87 per cent of respondents were confident or very confident of the Singapore Police Force. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
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SINGAPORE - The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has come a long way since its beginnings in 1820, when a scrappy band of 12 men operated from the home of a Scotsman by the name of Francis James Bernard.

Bernard - the son-in-law of William Farquhar, the first British resident of colonial Singapore - had no prior experience. He was also skint, granting licences and supervising inmates on a monthly budget of 300 Indian rupees.

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