Zhang Yi Tao, Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship holder (2010)
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| Photo courtesy of Zhang Yi Tao |
With my family at the Istana where I received the SPF Overseas Scholarship award from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng on 12 August 2010.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) orientation programme has truly widened my perspective on the Police Force’s scope of work and the many facets of this sprawling organisation.
Through the attachment, I was attached to land divisions, specialist units such as the Commercial Affairs Department and real-time operations on the ground at the National Day Parade.
I am also thankful that I was given the opportunity to interact with the top management through dialogues with the Commissioner of Police and the Police Chief-of-Staff to understand their perspective and direction for the force.
One of the key highlights of my attachment to the SPF was the ground attachment at the Ang Mo Kio Police Division (“F” Division).
We were attached to patrol cars on the ground responding to real life situations from unlawful restraint to unlicensed money lending and rioting.
It was an eye-opening exposure to the variety of crimes that officers on the ground have to deal with and respond professionally to.
While handling the rioting case, I was also afforded a glimpse into the technological capabilities of the SPF.
Within minutes of the case being reported, state-of-the-art equipment was used to take photos, obtain DNA swabs and lift fingerprints from around the area.
As an added bonus, I was also brought along for a stakeout near a private housing estate which had reports of harassment by potential illegal immigrants. This showed me a side of police operations I had never before
experienced.
The attachments to specialist departments were extremely fruitful as well.
My stint with the Commercial Affairs Department allowed me to realise that police presence is not merely limited to tackling crime on the ground, but that the police jurisdiction extends to white-collar crime to weed out unlawful activities in all spheres of society.
A stint with the Special Operations Command also further reassured me that SPF has the capabilities to fully respond to potential large scale insurgencies during events with massive crowds and that the years of peace
and prosperity has not led us to let our guard down.
Lastly, the highlight was the attachment to the National Day Parade command post. I was utterly impressed by how the Police Force could handle the intricacies of operations required together with the multitude
of security concerns.
The walk-through on the ground shed new light on an event that I've witnessed so many times.
What struck me most was that contingencies were planned so comprehensively that every aspect of the event was covered.
On the whole, the SPF orientation was an extremely fruitful introduction to SPF and I look forward to the day when I graduate and join the Force in upholding its tradition of excellence.
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