Reflections from the Home Team (Part 2): The Border Veteran and The Community Builder

In the second of this three-part series, two veterans reflect on the importance of building bonds and rapidly adapting to challenges. Together, their careers trace how policing and immigration control evolved to serve Singapore's changing needs.

Tested by Crisis, Strengthened by Experience

Calm, well dressed and well-spoken, the traveller looked nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, a gut instinct told INSP Nuraini Binte Abdul Rahman that something was not right. Then a new Primary Screening Officer, she noticed inconsistencies in his replies and swiftly referred him for further checks. He was later found to be holding a counterfeit passport and had an ulterior motive for entering Singapore.

“I was proud of myself for detecting this case. I was a new officer then, with little experience.”

That instinct would serve her well for the next 26 years in the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), seeing her through the SARS outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now a Team Leader based at the Singapore Cruise Centre, she guides her team with the benefit of years of experience. “Whatever I have learned in ICA, I want to give back to my junior officers to help them grow.”

Q: As an ICA officer during the 2003 SARS outbreak, what were the key challenges you and your colleagues faced?

INSP Nuraini: As frontliners, we were constantly exposed to travellers from around the world. We had to manage long queues and reassure anxious travellers to comply with the additional health measures, like the health declaration cards.

Our supervisors gave daily briefings to keep us informed of the new procedures, cases, updates and safety guidelines. We motivated each other to get through this challenge together. The guidance and moral support I received have since greatly contributed to my professional growth and confidence at work.

 I was also pregnant with my first child then. I was very worried. I did not know whether I would contract the virus at my workplace and bring it home. Luckily, my family was very supportive. They understood the challenges I was facing.

Q: Having served through ICA's formative years to today, what are the most significant changes you've observed in ICA's operations, and how has your own role evolved?

INSP Nuraini: I was a counter officer who would ‘chop’ passport daily. We had to manually examine passports to detect travellers with undesirable intentions and relied heavily on physical checks or tell-tale signs. The process was slow.

Today, the New Clearance Concept (NCC) enables passport-less clearance, which reduces clearance time and queues. Biometric verifications make it much easier than before for ICA to detect travellers with false identities. The NCC has also allowed us to automate clearance and redeploy officers to handle higher level duties like profiling travellers.

Q: What do you hope current and future Home Team officers will remember when keeping Singapore safe and secure?

INSP Nuraini: Previously, Home Team departments operated independently and coordinated less. Now, we operate as one Home Team, conducting joint operations and training together.

I hope every Home Team officer, both now and in the future, will always remember the purpose behind our uniform, to serve with courage and heart to keep Singapore safe.

Strengthening Communities Through the Human Touch

During a night patrol, DSP Kiran Devi – then a new officer with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) – was responding to a snatch theft case when she spotted a man running towards her patrol car. Having studied the details of the recent spate of snatch thefts, she recognised the suspect immediately. "His attire was also an exact match to the description of the suspect’s attire given over the radio."

After chasing and apprehending him, DSP Kiran was amused by the suspect's explanation: "He said he ran because he saw me chasing him! But he was already running with something in his hand. His answer made no sense at all,” she laughed. Subsequently, he confessed to the snatch theft and was linked to all the other cases.

During the early 1990s, when many female Police officers were routinely assigned to operations room duties, DSP Kiran’s supervisor deployed newer recruits like her on active patrol duties instead. “I was very blessed to have a progressive supervisor.”

Those early opportunities to engage the community directly taught her the value of personal connections in policing. In her 25 years at Clementi Police Division, DSP Kiran interacted with people from all walks of life. Her pride in building community relationships shines through as she shares, “I've really enjoyed my relationship with the grassroots leaders, who volunteer their time. That interaction and collaboration gave me a real sense of accomplishment.”

Q: What was community policing like when you joined the SPF in the 1990s?

DSP Kiran: Since the 1980s, the SPF has adopted the community policing approach from Japan’s Koban system. The Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system marked a shift to a proactive, community-based approach to policing. NPP officers would go house to house to get to know each family personally. Residents became comfortable with seeing officers around their blocks regularly. I’d say what the NPP system built then has carried through till today because of that trust established back in those days.

Q: How has the relationship between the Police and the community evolved over the decades?  

DSP Kiran: The Police-community relationship shifted from being largely reactive – responding to incidents after they occur – to becoming more proactive and collaborative. Today, there’s a stronger emphasis on trust-building, partnership and shared responsibility for safety and security. The community is no longer just a recipient of police services; they are active stakeholders in ensuring the safety and security of their neighbourhoods and workplaces.

The relationship has grown stronger, with officers working alongside the community. Trust remains the key ingredient. People need to see and know their officers and believe that their concerns are heard and acted upon.

Q: As policing continues to evolve, what principle do you believe will continue to define effective policing?

DSP Kiran: Policing is, at its heart, about people. Beyond enforcing the law, it’s about showing care, connecting with the community and earning trust. Criminal tactics and threats brought about by technological advances will evolve, but our commitment must remain constant. Connection at a personal level is a key element that must remain at the core of policing.