Written Replies to Parliamentary Questions

Written Reply to PQ on Police Reports Over the Past Three Years on Road Rage Incidents, Neighbour Disputes, Verbal Assault, Physical Assault and Nudity or Indecent Exposure in Public, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Published: 05 July 2021

Question:

Dr Tan Yia Swam:
To ask the Minister for Home Affairs over the past three years, whether there is an increasing trend in the number of police reports on (i) road rage incidents (ii) neighbour disputes (iii) verbal assault (iv) physical assault and (v) nudity or indecent exposure in public.


Answer:

1.   Police do not track police reports involving neighbour disputes, as “neighbour disputes” by itself is not a criminal offence. That said, if there are criminal offences involved, such as Voluntarily Causing Hurt (VCH), or harassment under the Protection From Harassment Act, then these will be tracked under the relevant offences.


2.   As for police reports over the past three years involving (i) road rage incidents; (ii) verbal assault; (iii) physical assault; and (iv) nudity or indecent exposure in public, the numbers are as follows:

 

2018

2019

2020

Road rage incidents involving the offence of VCH

 

46

48

45

Verbal assault, involving the following offences:

(i)criminal intimidation; and

(ii)criminal intimidation by anonymous communication.

 

870

775

655

Physical assault, involving the following offences:

(i) VCH which results in grievous hurt;

(ii) VCH by dangerous weapons or means;

(iii)Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt (VCGH); and

(iv) VCGH by dangerous weapons or means.

 

429

373

445

Nudity or indecent exposure in public, involving the following offences:

(i)appearing nude in public;

(ii)obscene acts in public; or

(iii) sexual exposure (new offence which came into force on 1 Jan 2020).

 

207

265

348