Parliament

Shanmugam: Security, trust in police didn't happen naturally

SPF's success is the result of justice system, the quality of police leadership; S'pore safe due to paths taken, avoided

On the quality of officers and leadership of the police force, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said this does not mean only educational qualities, but also those of character. He quoted founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who had said th
On the quality of officers and leadership of the police force, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said this does not mean only educational qualities, but also those of character. He quoted founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who had said that if Singapore did not recruit strong officers with moral fibre and a sense of purpose, it would go downhill very fast.

The success of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in keeping Singapore safe is the result of the criminal justice system, the quality of the leadership in the force, as well as the public's trust in its officers, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said yesterday.

Speaking in Parliament during a debate to mark 200 years of the SPF, he cited a Gallup report last year which showed that 97 per cent of residents in Singapore feel safe when they are walking alone in their neighbourhoods at night. The global average is 69 per cent.

"What we have, this level of safety, security and confidence in the force, did not just happen in the natural course of events. It is the result of paths taken, and also paths avoided," said the minister.

He noted that Singapore adapted its laws from the system it inherited from the British to create a framework for the police to be effective.

He cited a 1976 change that was made to allow the courts here to draw an adverse inference if an accused person puts up a defence that he did not mention when he was interviewed by the police.

This goes against the "right to remain silent", but encourages suspects to be forthcoming during investigations, as accused people have to tell the police the truth or adverse inferences can be drawn, said Mr Shanmugam. This means that criminals here do not walk free on a technicality if the police officers do not tell a suspect that he has a right to remain silent.

"It is in the public interest that persons under investigation by the police tell the truth when interviewed," he said.

Mr Shanmugam also responded to Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) who had earlier cited two models of criminal justice - the crime control model and the due process model.

Ms Lim said the crime control model focuses on efficiency and crime suppression, seeing crime control as more important than individual freedom, while the due process model focuses on a just and fair criminal justice system and upholding constitutional rights.

"Every criminal justice system worth its salt will have to find its balance between the two models," she said.

Mr Shanmugam said: "The right balance is not, or should not, be guided by pure ideology. It should be guided by what works, what is fair, what is right."

He had earlier said that "if the criminal justice system does not work, if there is no proper due process and crimes go unpunished, then it is difficult for a police force to be effective."

He added: "Our philosophy is that the police investigations should not be made into a series of technical hurdles which have to be cleared. But it must be a fair and clear process that helps to arrive at the truth."

On the quality of officers and leadership of SPF, Mr Shanmugam said that high quality does not mean only educational qualities, but also those of character.

He quoted founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who said in 2011 that Singapore cannot have a situation where the criminals are smarter and better resourced than the police. Mr Lee also said that if Singapore did not recruit strong officers with moral fibre and a sense of purpose, it would go downhill very fast.

The need to maintain public trust and confidence is why errant officers are dealt with strictly, said Mr Shanmugam. Where crimes are perceived to have been committed, "the courts often take into account the fact that this is a police officer who is charged with upholding the laws, and therefore the punishment is usually stricter".

"This level of public trust cannot be taken for granted," he said.

Looking ahead, Mr Shanmugam said that the police force would strengthen itself for the future by getting better equipment, undergoing more training and utilising technology more.

He said: "I am confident that the SPF will continue to uphold its tradition of excellence, and stay anchored on its core values: courage, loyalty, integrity, fairness, even as it charts its way through a more complex operating environment.

"And in doing so, the SPF must continue to hold its officers to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, in order to maintain the trust of Singaporeans whom it serves."

Correction note: This story has been edited for clarity.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 04, 2021, with the headline Shanmugam: Security, trust in police didn't happen naturally. Subscribe