Overview of Safety and Security Situation in 2022

Singapore Remained Safe and Secure in 2022

1.   The Home Team continued to work hard to carry out its mission and remained steadfast in keeping Singapore safe and secure. This is evidenced by Singapore being ranked as the safest country in the world in Gallup’s Law and Order Index 2022. According to the World Fire Statistics Report released in 2022, Singapore continued to have one of the lowest fire fatality rates in the world.

Key Trends of Improvement

2.   The overall two-year recidivism rate among ex-offenders remains low and stable, and continues to be one of the lowest globally. The Singapore Prison Service and Yellow Ribbon Singapore will galvanise greater support from community partners, employers, families, and government agencies to build a more sustainable eco-system of support in the community to also lower the five-year recidivism rate.

3.   The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) saw decreases in the overall number of fires, including fires in residential premises, vegetation fires and fires involving personal mobility devices. Community partnership strengthened, as reflected by the increase in the number of cases that were responded to by SGSecure Responders and Community First Responders.

4.   With the resumption of international travel and the reopening of Singapore’s borders in April 2022, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) saw a more than threefold increase in the number of passports issued and a surge in traveller volume by more than 16 times in 2022 compared to 2021. ICA also saw a decrease in the total number of harbourers and employers of immigration offenders arrested.

5.   The Traffic Police (TP) saw a decrease in the number of accidents involving cyclists on the road. Together with the Land Transport Authority, TP stepped up education, engagement and enforcement efforts over the past year. One of TP’s new initiatives with the Singapore Cycling Federation is the regular sharing of road safety messages online with the cycling community.

6.   With the relaxation of COVID-19 measures over 2022, there was an increase in the total number of physical crime cases in 2022, compared to 2021. However, this remains lower than the pre-COVID figure in 2019.

Global and Regional Drug Situation Remains Challenging

7.   The trafficking of methamphetamine is on an increasing trend in the region. This is especially concerning, as methamphetamine has been the most commonly-abused drug in Singapore since 2015.

8.   Nevertheless, the Central Narcotics Bureau continued to disrupt the flow of drugs into and within Singapore. The amount of drugs seized remained significant in 2022 with cannabis seizures continuing to increase year on year.

9.   New drug abusers arrested who are below 30 years of age also remain a concern. The level of cannabis abuse, particularly for those under the age of 20, had returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, and more youths in this age group were arrested in 2022 for abusing cannabis.

Other Trends of Concern

10.   Scams – particularly phishing scams, job scams, e-commerce scams, investment scams and fake friend call scams – remain a concern. Sexual offences are also a concern, with majority of cases involving victims and perpetrators known to each other. Other crimes of concern include shop theft, theft in dwelling, and outrage of modesty.

11.   We are also concerned about increases in the total number of accidents resulting in fatalities or injuries. This could be because of the further easing of safe management measures in 2022, which led to an increase in both vehicular and human traffic. Of particular concern are the increases in the number of drink-driving and speeding-related accidents, as well as accidents involving motorcyclists and elderly pedestrians. Motorcyclists and elderly pedestrians continue to account for a disproportionate number of traffic accidents resulting in injuries or death.

12.   The SCDF saw an increase in the number of Emergency Medical Services calls in 2022 and part of this continues to be due to the multiple COVID-19 waves of infection. If there are no life-threatening or emergency medical conditions, members of the public should refrain from calling 995 so that SCDF’s resources can continue to provide swift conveyance for those who require our emergency medical services.

13.   There was an increase in the overall number of fires in non-residential premises, including commercial and industrial fires. The number of vehicle fires also increased compared to 2021.

14.   ICA saw an increase in the total number of immigration offenders arrested which could be attributed to more persons entering Singapore since the reopening of borders. There was also an increase in the total number of contraband cases detected at the checkpoints in 2022.

SGSecure Movement Sustains Momentum

15.   The SGSecure movement has achieved good progress, with the Home Team and Cluster Leads ⁽¹⁾ working closely together, in sensitising, training and mobilising our community to help prevent and respond to a terrorist attack:

(a)   Since 2016, we have reached out to more than 550,000 households to teach them to protect themselves and their families, and to recognise and report suspicious behaviours or items.

(b)   After the scope of the SGSecure Responders’ Network was expanded in Jan 2022, there are now more than 127,200 Responders in the community. ⁽²⁾

(c)   The Community Response Roundtables (CRRTs) aim to strengthen cooperation across key stakeholder groups within a geographical area to enhance local community-level emergency preparedness. Led by Grassroots Advisers, CRRTs bring together representatives across various domains – schools, businesses, grassroots, religious and other community groups. 18 CRRTs have been formed thus far. ⁽³⁾

[1]   The SGSecure Cluster leads are MCCY, MCI, MINDEF, MOE, MOM and PA, and they oversee six domains, namely, Community Groups (MCCY), the Media (MCI), NS Community (MINDEF), Schools (MOE), Workplaces (MOM) and Neighbourhoods (PA).

[2]   Beyond providing timely response to nearby cases of cardiac arrest and minor fires, the scope of the SGSecure Responders’ Network was broadened in Jan 2022 to encourage Responders to report suspicious items and behaviours, including suspected cases of radicalisation, through the SGSecure app and share news from credible or official sources to mitigate the spread of misinformation during crisis. The expansion aimed to allow more members of the public to contribute to the fight against terrorism in various ways.

[3]   The aim is to form a total of 42 Community Response Roundtables nationwide, covering all constituencies.