Asian Conference on Criminal and Operations Psychology (ACCOP) 2025 – Speech by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs

Chairman of Asian Conference on Criminal and Operations Psychology (ACCOP), Dr Majeed Khader, who is strongly supported by his Home Team colleagues led by

Permanent Secretary Mr Pang King Keong; and

Deputy Secretary Mr Ngiam Shih Chun,

Many members of our Home Team Departments,

Distinguished guests,

Experts,

Colleagues,

Friends from abroad.

1. Welcome to Singapore and the 6th Asian Conference on Criminal and Operations Psychology, or ACCOP. This is a timely gathering in today’s evolving security landscape.

2. We have run ACCOP five times before, with the first bring held in 2010. However, this is our first in-person ACCOP since 2022, marking a significant moment for operational psychology across Asia.

3. Let me begin by thanking our Home Team psychologists whom you’ve seen talk about their work in the video just now. Our Home Team psychologists’ dedication to public safety is the foundation of this conference — a fitting reminder that understanding the science of mind is an important part of keeping societies safe and secure.

4. Security threats now include psychological assaults on trust, identity, and unity.

5. There are four urgent fronts.

6. First, youth drug trends: The Central Narcotics Bureau, or CNB, saw a 30% increase in under‑20 abusers last year. In 2024, the youngest individual arrested for drug abuse was 13 years old. Thus far in 2025, the youngest was 14 years old. The trend that we are seeing in young drug abusers is persistent and unwelcome.

7. Second, radicalisation: There is a worrying trend of youth self-radicalisation. In the last decade, 17 youths have been detained under the Internal Security Act, or ISA, with two-thirds having been detected in the last five years.

8. Third, technology‑facilitated scams. Singaporeans lost S$1.1 billion in scams last year, and it is well-established that scammers exploit psychological vulnerabilities.

9. Fourth, the rise of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation and violence. Not only do victims suffer psychological harm, if not outright physical harm; the factors that drive these violations are themselves pathological.

10. To protect our community, we must understand why people fall prey or behave in various ways. This is where psychology comes in.

11. Our Home Team integrates psychological science into every facet of our work — from operations to prevention, from training to rehabilitation.

12. The following are some recent examples.

13. For instance, CNB’s Supervision Assessment Checklist and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA’s) Team Discovery Programme turn behavioural science into operational tools.

14. SCDF became the first INSARAG-certified unit to embed mental-health professionals into international disaster response.

15. ICA’s Psychological First Aid training, and Singapore Prison Service’s (SPS’s) community partnerships for offender reintegration — these efforts all show the power of psychological insight.

16. Also, we have strengthened our stand on preventing sexual violence, online and offline, reflecting our vigorous law enforcement, legislative upgrades, and community alliances.

17. At this conference, we are proud to showcase today, three strategic initiatives that deepen our psychological edge.

18. First, PsychTech – The Home Team has been at the forefront of integrating advanced technology with psychological sciences to enhance our capabilities in assessment, training, intervention and rehabilitation. By harnessing Artificial Intelligence, digital analytics, and behavioural science, we have been using technology to automate and streamline work processes as well. This has allowed us to amplify human insight, not to replace human judgment. For example, we are using Virtual Reality (VR) technology in our training programmes to enhance psychological resilience among our officers.

19. The second initiative is the formation of the National HEART Professionals Network. This is a collaborative network where Home Team psychologists partner with leading mental health associations, including the Singapore Psychiatric Association, the Singapore Counselling Association, the Singapore Psychological Society, and Singapore Association of Social Workers. This Network aims to enhance knowledge-sharing, improve intervention approaches, and strengthen inter-agency partnerships in the areas of mental health and crisis management. Together, this alliance will enable Singapore to be better prepared for future emergencies — not just with infrastructure, but with coordinated emotional and psychological response capability.

20. The third initiative is the Asian Psychology, Crime, and Law Network (APCLN). This regional platform brings together forensic and legal psychologists, criminologists, law enforcement professionals, and researchers across the Asia-Pacific. And its goals are threefold: one, to exchange best practices in criminal, legal and rehabilitation psychology; two, to strengthen collaboration in tackling cross-border crime through better understanding of human behaviour; and three, to advance psychological research on crime trends, behavioural analysis, and extremism. As threats grow increasingly international, so must our collective resilience.

21. In conclusion, let me say that psychology is an important frontline lens of the Home Team helping us gain sharper insights, devise more effective operations and create stronger prevention and rehabilitation outcomes.

22. Thank you all, and I wish you an inspiring and productive conference.