This article has been migrated from an earlier version of the site and may display formatting inconsistencies.
📷 : Our safe and vibrant neighbourhood (Ong Yi Chao)
A British TikTok user staying in Singapore went viral last year when she shared her screaming encounter with man after seeing his shadow come up behind her while walking home alone at 11pm. He turned out to be an innocent jogger – and he carried on jogging past her.
"I'm definitely from the UK, the way I just screamed at this man 'cause I thought he was going to mug me...I'm just so used to “fight" mode...you lock your doors and board the windows at 11pm, especially if you're living in south London,” said @Ilibabyyyy in her TikTok video. Singaporeans commented that her fears were misplaced: mugging is so uncommon here that we are more frightened of insects or spirits if we hung out late.
Indeed, Singapore consistently ranks among the safest cities in the world. In the 2022 Global Peace Index, Singapore has the highest percentage of people feeling safe while walking alone: 96% here compared to 71% average worldwide. And in the 2022 Safety Perceptions Index, Singapore held the first rank as one of the top 10 most peaceful countries worldwide.
Singapore’s excellence in law and order comes from a long practice of developing innovative and practical ideas to fight crime. In the 1980s, for example, the Singapore Police Force took on a radical transformation to model after the Japanese Koban (meaning ‘Police Box’ in Japanese. These are small police stations that serve local neighbourhoods) system. It is a form of policing that does not set up antagonistic relationships between the public and law enforcement officers, but instead builds trust, confidence and participation within our communities. This approach is complemented by extensive investments in cutting edge capabilities to tackle new and complex crimes. Today, the Singapore Police Force has a reputation for being one of the most efficient and effective police forces in the world, and plays a critical role in maintaining safety and security in Singapore.
Singapore’s style of policing encourages many eyes to watch over our neighbourhoods — resulting in our freedom from fear as we go about our daily lives. This sense of personal safety is so widely #TakenForGranted here, that a woman’s fear of a mugging becomes the story that sticks out.
#Safety #Singapore #SingaporePoliceForce #SafeguardingEveryday #SPFPoliceDay
🔗: MHA’s Overview of Safety and Security Situation in 2022 - https://www.mha.gov.sg/mediaroom/press-releases/overview-of-safety-and-security-situation-in-2022/