Volunteer Special Constabulary
By Sgt (V) Edmond Lim

A Vital Support for the Force
The officers from the Volunteer Special Constabulary have a common aspiration to serve the nation by complementing the Singapore Police Force in as many policing areas as possible.

Towards a World-Class Volunteer Police Force

The Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) continues to contribute to building a worldclass police force by engaging in dialogue, and working in collaboration with overseas counterparts. One such collaboration was the VSC Command’s maiden study visit to the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force (HKAPF) and the Macau Judiciary Police (MJP).

Held from 18 to 20 September 2007, it marked our first step towards realising our vision of a world-class volunteer force. The study visit helped us to explore the possibilities of adopting best practices as part of our drive towards continuous improvements in the areas of professionalism and competency. It also represented VSC’s commitment to strengthening relationships with volunteer police forces in the region and beyond. Representatives from Australia, Hong Kong and Israel also visited VSC Headquarters to better learn and understand our practices and culture.

A Bigger and Better VSC

As of March 2008, our manpower strength stood at 1,040. Despite making up only 10% of SPF’s strength, we deployed 346 officers to support the Force during the ASEAN Summit 2007. Our officers put in almost 3,350 hours of duty in total.

The completion of the second Senior Officers’ Development Course (SODC) in January 2008 is proof of our success in equipping officers with knowledge and developing them into professional and competent leaders.

SPF officers who had successfully completed training with Training Command (TRACOM) took up the On-Job Competency Assessment (OJCA) to help them turn their knowledge into professional skill sets through practical application.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DC), Mr Goh Liang Kwang, officially opened the new VSC Training Centre located at the old Police Academy on 29 May 2008. With the Centre established, our officers will be able to take up developmental courses and selected basic training modules.

FY 2007 also saw the recognition of some of the best in the unit. The VSC 25 Years’ Service Star Awards were awarded to loyal and deserving VSC officers at the Annual VSC Appreciation Dinner held on 28 February 2008.

We also strengthened our recruitment efforts with the appointment of 40 Career Advisors and Panel Interviewers by DC Goh Liang Kwang on 7 March 2008.

Champions Again!

VSC ‘A’ Division won the coveted Championship Title in the Best Unit Competition for the fourth consecutive time since its inception. ‘G’ Division came in second while the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) came in third. The Heads of the winning divisions received their awards at the Police Annual Dinner, held at the Home Team Academy on 3 June 2008 and graced by the Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mr K Shanmugam.

Marching Confidently into 2008

VSC will continue to be an integral part of SPF’s mission to uphold the law, maintain order and keep the peace.

The words of Commissioner of Police, Mr Khoo Boon Hui, during his visit to the VSC Headquarters will always guide our future direction. He reminded us that only with thorough scenario planning, constant operational reviews, re-organisation and re-training, can we prepare ourselves to meet the ever-changing challenges ahead.