Overview of Safety and Security Situation in 2024

Singapore Remained Safe and Secure in 2024

The Home Team continued to keep Singapore safe and secure in 2024. Singapore was ranked second by Gallup for Law and Order ^[1] and by the World Justice Project for Order and Security. The public has a high level of trust in the Police - 97% of respondents had positively rated Singapore’s general safety and security ^{[ 2]} . Singapore continued to have one of the lowest fire fatality rates ^[3] in the world ^[4] .

Key Improvements

2. The number of physical crimes remained stable, and crimes such as theft-in-dwelling, outrage of modesty, housebreaking and theft saw a decrease.

3. The number of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls received in 2024 remained similar to that in 2023 but in the long run, we expect it to trend upwards as our population continues to age. Through extensive public education to remind the public to call 995 only for an emergency, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) saw a decrease in false alarm calls. There was also an encouraging increase in responses by Community First Responders to cardiac arrest and minor fire incidents.

4. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) saw an increase in traveller volume in 2024 as compared to 2023. This was largely driven by the number of land travellers which surpassed pre-COVID-19 levels. The implementation of ICA’s New Clearance Concept in 2024 enabled ICA to cope with this increase in traveller volume, while strengthening Singapore’s border security.

5. There was a slight decrease in the total number of immigration offenders due to a decline in the number of overstayers arrested. However, the number of persons arrested for harbouring or employing immigration offenders, as well as those arrested for marriage of convenience-related offences had increased sharply in 2024 due to ICA’s increased enforcement efforts.

6. Other than facilitating rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders back into the community, keeping our prisons safe and secure remains a priority for the Singapore Prison Service (SPS). The assault rates per 10,000 inmates remains stable and continues to be low compared to comparable correctional jurisdictions. SPS continued to improve prisons operations, with enhanced tactical readiness, deployment of new technologies and tailored interventions such as anti-violence programmes and restorative practices. The two-year recidivism rate for the Release Cohort 2022 has improved and continues to be one of the lowest globally. The five-year recidivism rate remains stable for the Release Cohort 2019. SPS will continue to work closely with Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG), our community partners, volunteers, employers and inmates’ families, to build a more sustainable eco-system of support for ex-offenders to reduce re-offending and facilitate successful reintegration back into the community.

7. Stable employment plays a critical role in the successful reintegration of ex-offenders into society. In 2024, the average training hours per inmate increased, even as the number of inmates who had undergone training to equip themselves with skills for employment dipped marginally. YRSG had also successfully expanded its network and increased the number of supportive employers who believe in second chances.

Challenging Regional Drug Situation

8. Singapore remains vulnerable to the worsening global and regional drugs developments. Illicit drug markets overseas continue to expand, causing devastating harms to the society. Drug traffickers and producers misuse social media platforms and encrypted communication applications to spread misinformation about the benefits of drugs and promote the sale of illicit drugs. In our region, there have been record seizures and heightened production of drugs.

9. The number of new drug abusers arrested in 2024 has increased.

10. Young abusers remain a key concern. Amongst new abusers arrested in 2024, more than half were below the age of 30, and the number of those below 20 years old increased by nearly a third compared to 2023. Preventive drug education is as important as our tough laws and rigorous enforcement in Singapore’s fight against drugs. The community too has a part to play to advocate against drugs. CNB has been working with our partners in the Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youths ^[5] to educate youths, parents and the wider community on the harms of drugs, and countering misinformation and the proliferation of permissive drug views on foreign media and social media.

11. CNB will continue its rigorous enforcement actions to take down organised criminal syndicates including those operating from overseas through encrypted platforms.

Scams Remain a Priority

12. Scams continue to be a key concern and a priority for the Government. The number of reported cases and the total amount reported lost to scams have increased. In 2024, the top five scam types in terms of number of cases were e-commerce scams, job scams, phishing scams, investment scams and fake friend call scams. The top five scam types in terms of amount lost were investment scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, malware-enabled scams and business email compromise scams. Majority of scam victims were aged below 50 in 2024. However, the average amount lost per victim aged 65 and above was the highest. While the Government will not let up in its anti-scam efforts, individuals must also proactively adopt anti-scam measures to enhance their resilience and vigilance against scams.

Other Trends of Concern

13. While the number of physical crime cases reported in 2024 remained stable, the number of shop theft and voyeurism cases registered an increase.

14. In 2024, speeding violation cases increased despite the high visibility and variety of speed enforcement measures. Motorcyclists and elderly pedestrians continued to account for a disproportionate number of traffic accidents and fatalities.

15. The SCDF saw a slight increase in the overall number of fires in 2024. Fires due to unattended cooking and electrical origin remained the top two causes of fires in residential premises. There was an increase in the number of fires involving active mobility devices, which remains a key fire safety concern especially for those that occur at residential premises.

SGSecure Movement

16. The SGSecure movement has raised the level of community vigilance, preparedness and cohesion. In a recent survey of the public ^[6] :

(a) 74% of respondents agreed that they were generally alert and would keep a lookout for suspicious behaviours or items when in a public place. 88% of respondents said that they would contact the relevant authorities if they spotted suspicious behaviours or items in a public space.

(b) 97% of respondents saw themselves as having a role to play in preventing and dealing with a terror attack.

(c) 72% of respondents were familiar with or trained in emergency preparedness skills. ^[7]

(d) 90% of respondents believed that all Singaporeans would stand united regardless of race or religion should a terrorist attack happen in Singapore.

(e) 93% of respondents were willing to help other Singaporeans affected by a terrorist attack, and 74% believed that their neighbours would help them if they were affected.

17. MHA continued working with our partners, through the SGSecure movement,  to sensitise, train, and mobilise our community to help prevent and respond to a terrorist attack ^[8] :

(a) Since 2016, MHA has reached out to more than 674,000 households in HDB estates to teach them to protect themselves and their families, and to recognise and report suspicious behaviours or items.

(b) To date, there are 37 Community Response Roundtables (CRRTs) islandwide. The CRRTs help to strengthen networks among different community stakeholders within a geographical area, and facilitate responses during a crisis. MHA and People’s Association (PA) aim to form a total of 40 CRRTs by the end of FY2024.

(c) Since the scope of the SGSecure Responders’ Network was broadened in 2022, more than 202,000 people have signed up as Responders, as of end 2024 ^[9] .

(d) In view of the growing trend of youth radicalisation, MHA has worked with the Internal Security Department (ISD), the Ministry of Education (MOE), schools and Institutes of Higher Learning to intensify its counter-terrorism (CT) and counter-radicalisation (CR) outreach to educators, students and youths. This includes conducting CT/CR workshops to sensitise students, educators and other school staff to the terrorism threat and tell-tale signs of radicalisation, and the importance of early reporting. In 2024, ISD organised close to 50 outreach events for about 2,000 participants.

(e) To heighten awareness and educate the community on how they can safeguard our society from terrorism and extremism, MHA leveraged social media and launched the SGSecure Instagram account in July 2024, together with the SGSecure’s inaugural music video “Foiled Once More” by local singer-songwriter Nathan Hartono.

18. Following the release of this Overview, the various Home Team Departments will be releasing their annual statistics from 11 to 25 February 2025.

[1] The Law and Order Index in Gallup’s 2024 Global Safety Report was calculated based on data collected from a survey conducted among the adult population aged 15 years and older in 140 countries and areas in 2023.

[2] According to Singapore Police Force (SPF)’s Public Perception Survey 2024

[3] Per 100,000 population.

[4] According to World Fire Statistics Report released in 2024

[5] The Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youths is chaired by Minister for Home Affairs, Mr K Shanmugam and comprises MHA, MOE, MSF, MCCY, PA, MINDEF, MDDI and MOH.

[6] From March to May 2024, MHA conducted a national-level survey to gauge public perception and sentiments towards the terrorism threat, and participation in emergency preparedness efforts as part of the SGSecure movement. The survey involved a representative sample of 2,003 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents (aged 15 and above) through face-to-face interviews.

[7] These skills include performing CPR, using an AED, providing First Aid, Psychological First Aid/Counselling, performing Improvised First Aid, operating a fire extinguisher, or managing/facilitating evacuation and lockdown scenarios during emergencies.

[8] Key partners include MCCY, MDDI, MINDEF, MOE, MOM and PA, and they oversee six domains, namely, Community Groups (MCCY), the Media (MDDI), NS Community (MINDEF), Schools (MOE), Workplaces (MOM) and Neighbourhoods (PA).

[9] Responders help to report suspicious items and behaviours, provide timely response to nearby cases of cardiac arrest and minor fires, and/or share news from credible or official sources to mitigate the spread of misinformation during crises.