Question:
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether there is a need to increase the number of white-collar and cybercrime investigators employed by the Singapore Police Force so that there is a deeper capacity to deal with the heavier workload.
Answer:
1. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is monitoring the commercial and cybercrime workload situation closely, and will make resourcing adjustments whenever necessary.
2. The SPF has also enhanced its capacity and capabilities to deal with such crimes in other ways.
3. First, better organisation of resources. In 2016, cybercrime investigation, digital forensics training, liaison and policy matters were integrated under a single Cybercrime Command. This has allowed SPF to achieve greater economies of scale and better coordination between sub-units in fighting cybercrime.
4. Second, better training of officers. Officers with the aptitude for cybercrime investigations and digital forensics are given specialised training and deployed to the Police Land Divisions. All frontline uniformed Police officers and investigation officers have also been trained in basic cybercrime investigations.
5. Third, the use of technology, such as digital forensics, malware analysis, and video analytics. This has helped to strengthen the SPF’s capabilities and reduce the reliance on manpower.
6. Fourth, working more closely with the community in crime prevention. In concert with the National Crime Prevention Council, the Police have launched several rounds of cybercrime and scam prevention education campaigns to raise public awareness and vigilance.
