thumb|right|300px|A NPC in [[Orchard Road|Orchard in 2006]]

A neighbourhood police centre (abbreviation: NPC; ) is a small to mid-sized police station commonly found in Singapore. It was first introduced during the mid-1990s.

History

A feasibility study was established in October 1981 when some officers of the Singapore Police Force and then-Minister for Home Affairs Chua Sian Chin were sent to Japan to study the koban system and train with officers on how the system worked. The neighbourhood police post (NPP) was then piloted in 1983 when Khe Bong NPP post was created with assistance from Japanese police officers visiting Singapore. While the NPP has helped to reduce crime rates since its introduction in 1983, and perceived positively by the general public, it was limited in its ability to offer greater convenience to the community due to their limited size and scope of duties in individual posts. Later assessment of the NPCs under Clementi were deemed to be a success.

The first phase was planned to be implemented in February 1999 to cover the West Region with six NPCs, the second phase by October 1999 covering the East and North-East Regions with 12 NPCs, and the third phase in the Central Region with 11 NPCs by July 2000. There would thus be 32 NPCs, and the number of NPPs would be reduced from 91 in 1997 to 66 by 2000.

During the implementation of the plan, several refinements were made, including an abandonment of the planned replacement of the Land Divisions with Regional Commands, and a review of the organisational setup within the NPCs. The roll-out faced a discernible level of public discontent, many of whom were still unaware of the NPC system despite extensive publicity efforts by the police. The primary concern was over the closure of NPPs within their neighbourhoods, and the reduced operation hours of retained NPPs.

Nonetheless, all 35 NPCs were successfully opened, although some were delayed due to slower urban development in some areas than expected. The 33rd NPC, Marina Bay Neighbourhood Police Centre had been opened on 6 February 2010.

Two more Neighbourhood Police Centres had also been opened in Punggol and Woodlands West on 30 December 2012.

Organisation

Initial roll-out plans for the NPCs entailed the creation of six Regional Commands, which are to replace the existing seven Land Divisions. New NPCs were thus organised within the existing Land Divisional structure, with only minor adjustments to division borders. As a result, some Divisions are much larger than others in terms of number of NPCs under their command, with Ang Mo Kio Police Division having nine NPCs while Central Police Division has three.

NPCs differ from NPPs, in that the former have boundaries broadly aligned with that of their respective Development Guide Plans (or planning areas) drawn up by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, as opposed to the later which was based on electoral divisions. NPC boundaries are permanent, while NPP boundaries may change each election should there be a review of electoral boundaries. Planning areas with higher demographies may have two NPCs, namely in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Merah, Jurong West and Yishun, while smaller planning areas may be combined and served by a single NPC, such as in the Central Area.

Each NPC is headed by a Commanding Officer (CO), with the assistance of an Operations Officer (OO). The pool of officers in the NPC, known as neighbourhood police centre officers (NPCOs) are grouped into four Teams, each headed by a Team Leader (TL) and assisted by a Deputy Team Leader (DTL). The CO and OO are Senior police officer positions.

In 2013, it was reported that 21 NPCs have begun to use social media to get public assistance in solving crimes in their local areas.

Reception

The NPC system is considered to be a success, and Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

See also

  • Crime in Singapore

References

Further reading

  • Your Guide to the Neighbourhood Police Centre (1997) Public Affairs Department, Singapore Police Force.