Unified rank structure soon for all police officers

Police Inspector Sunny Wee took five years to rise through the ranks to become a senior officer as he joined the force as a diploma holder and was on a different promotion track from degree holders. That will soon change, with all officers on a unifi
Police Inspector Sunny Wee took five years to rise through the ranks to become a senior officer as he joined the force as a diploma holder and was on a different promotion track from degree holders. That will soon change, with all officers on a unified track. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

When Police Inspector Sunny Wee, 31, joined the police force 10 years ago with a Diploma in Business Management, he was on a separate track from degree holders.

Last year, he was promoted to a senior officer - five years after he got a Bachelor of Science in Security Management Studies.

But soon, those who join as diploma holders like Insp Wee can look forward to "seamless advancement opportunities up the ranks," said Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam yesterday.

The police will implement a unified rank structure for all officers, he said, signalling a move away from the separate schemes that currently exist for junior and senior officers.

The change is designed to attract more young people to join the force and to retain good officers.

"The unified rank structure will definitely provide better career advancement opportunities for all police officers who perform well consistently," said Insp Wee, who is a special projects manager in the public affairs department.

Looking ahead, he said that he is excited about the announcement of new expert tracks, which he feels "will allow officers to deepen their specialist skills".

Mr Shanmugam told MPs in Parliament that expert tracks would build deep speciality in the key areas of investigations, intelligence and special operations.

Officers with specialised skills can look forward to new career developmental pathways, he added.

Details will be announced at the Police Workplan Seminar later this month.

The changes will be progressively extended to the rest of the Home Team as well, said Mr Shanmugam.

Seow Bei Yi

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 07, 2016, with the headline Unified rank structure soon for all police officers. Subscribe