Singapore police will strengthen their crime fighting ability with cameras, drones and training bots. The adoption of latest intelligence tools and techniques will help the police extend their ability to unravel crimes.
"Over 90,000 PolCams have already been installed and have been used to solve more than 5,000 cases," said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) during the annual Police Workplan Seminar today.
Towns and neighbourhood centres will get more cameras equipped with video analytic capabilities, which can automatically detect unexpected crowds and violent behaviour. Besides, such cameras will also be installed at new public housing blocks, hawker centres and transport nodes. Police officials will also be provided with new guns and body-worn cameras. The Glock 19 Gen 5 pistol, which carries three times more rounds, will replace the Taurus M85 revolver used by the officials.
By the end of 2023, the front-line regulars will be trained to use the new weapon, while their body-worn cameras, to be unveiled by the end of this year, will be replaced with a newer version that has a longer battery life of 13 hours, compared to the current 2.5 hours. The new cameras will be able to record in full HD, live-stream video and audio to the Police Operations Command Centre, and wipe out data remotely.
As for police trainees, they may soon get to work with two new remote-controlled bots developed with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency. The first is a Mobile Taser Training Target (MTTT), which will begin a three-month trial from next month. The manikin on wheels will replace the human role-player during Taser training, reducing the risk of injury.
Another bot, the Force-On-Robotic Target (FORT), will be used as part of the new Live Instrumentation Training System (LITS).
LITS makes use of laser in tactical training and will begin a three-month trial from December at the Home Team Academy.
The FORT, also a manikin on wheels, uses a laser system to detect how fast and accurately shots are fired at it.
This information can then be used to evaluate and improve the tactical skills of trainees.
In his speech to the SPF during the Police Workplan Seminar, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam lauded the force for its commitment during the COVID pandemic and also said that the MTTT and Lits will help sharpen the skills of officers and build their confidence in tactical response.
"We will continue to help officers deepen their expertise, to deal with the new security challenges," he added.