Central Police Division

Land Area Covered: 27 sq km Population in Area: 214,000 No. of Neighbourhood Police Centres: 2 No. of Neighbourhood Police Posts: 7 Characteristics of Locality: Central Business District, Civic District, Convention Hub, popular ethnic enclaves including Little India, Chinatown, Little Thailand, Little Myanmar and Little Nigeria, 24-hour entertainment belts at Boat Quay and Empress Place, burgeoning Education Hub and tourist hotspot.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN FY 2006

‘A’ Division made great strides in FY 2006 as it surmounted immense odds and daunting challenges to achieve success. Two major operational achievements were the successful deployment of its officers for security coverage at the General Elections (GE) 2006 and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank (IMF-WB) Board of Governors Annual Meetings 2006 or Singapore 2006 (S2006) in September 2006. Despite the intense and prolonged deployment, ‘A’ Division remained resolute in its mission to keep crime under control. FY 2006 saw ‘A’ Division’s overall crime rate fall by 1.3% compared to FY 2005. The division’s success could only be attributed to the dedication and hard work of its people.

Operational Resilience

IMF-WB Board of Governors Annual Meetings 2006 or S2006

To facilitate the smooth conduct of the meetings involving international delegates at the Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre (SICEC), ‘A’ Division officers had the tall task of ensuring the safety and security of the primary event venue. This was no mean feat, as officers had to work round the clock under arduous conditions and operational constraints. Their efforts played a major part in the success of the event.

GE 2006

One of the key challenges during GE 2006 was the lunchtime rally at UOB Plaza. ‘A’ Division saw the return of the lunchtime rally after a break of ten years. The constraint of space and nature of the location posed challenges for the division in terms of crowd control and security planning.

People Development

People are the valued assets of ‘A’ Division. In order to function as an exemplary arm of the law, ‘A’ Division has invested great efforts in the development of its assets. This is accomplished through continued efforts in its leadership development programme – Project Alpha, which aims to arm promising officers with useful tools and knowledge to be effective leaders. The revamping of the In-service Training also met the needs of the changing external environment. A more structured and scenario-based training programme was put in place to strengthen the officers’ fundamental skills in policing. The division has also enhanced the dissemination of tacit knowledge through Knowledge Management tools such as the broadcasting of a regular knowledge digest, Alpha Soup of the Week.

Strategic Partnerships

‘A’ Division has adopted three key strategies in FY 2006 to engage strategic partners in effective collaboration. The division seeks to deepen existing partnerships with initiatives such as providing timely crime information through the Short Messaging System, and the Corporate First Responders programme to facilitate swift and critical intervention during crises. It also aims to widen its outreach by identifying and engaging new partners for collaboration like the Medical Security Watch Group Cluster. Last but not least, the division emphasises building capabilities in partners by creating opportunities for its partners to develop their Business Continuity Plans and to verify these plans during joint exercises.

PLANS FOR FY 2007

While ‘A’ Division looks steadily to the future, FY 2007 will also be a year of reflection to strengthen basic fundamentals. This will include initiatives to revamp the division’s budget and resource management processes to improve financial nimbleness, strengthen fundamental policing skills of the officers, and evaluate existing office infrastructure to optimise limited resources. ‘A’ Division also foresees a tremendous change in its operational terrain, with the rapid emergence of the new Business and Residential Downtown, Integrated Resorts, Singapore Flyer and other developments. ‘A’ Division will rise to the challenge and add credence to the Singapore Police Force’s vision to be ‘A Force for the Nation’.