MHA COS 2024: Empowering the Home Team for the Future

GRAPHIC: Amber Qua

Demands on the Home Team are growing sharply, but we face significant manpower constraints. Some ways the Home Team is addressing this challenge include strengthening recruitment efforts and leveraging technology. 

At the Committee of Supply (COS) Debate 2024 in Parliament on 29 February, Second Minister for Home Affairs Mrs Josephine Teo spoke about focusing efforts in four areas, as part of the next phase of the Home Team’s transformation: 
(i) strengthen capabilities; 
(ii) transform public-facing services and internal workflows; 
(iii) develop the next generation of officers; and 
(iv) deepen and widen stakeholder engagement and partnership. 

Here are the highlights from her speech. 

Strengthening Capabilities

Expansion and Upgrading of Police Cameras (PolCam):

PHOTO: Singapore Police Force

PolCam has proven to be very effective in deterring, detecting and solving crime. They have helped Police to solve about 7,500 crime cases.

By the mid-2030s, Police and the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) plan to deploy a total of over 200,000 PolCam, more than double what we have today. This includes the progressive replacement of older cameras and expanding coverage across more locations island-wide.

Patrol Robots

PHOTO: Singapore Police Force

Police and HTX will deploy autonomous patrol robots. They provide live video feeds to Police’s Operations Command Centres, serve as additional eyes on the ground, and project Police presence.

Transforming Public-Facing Services and Internal Workflows
New Clearance Concept

PHOTO: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority

To better manage the surge in travellers, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and HTX will be launching the New Clearance Concept at the immigration checkpoints.

By the middle of this year, 95% of arriving travellers at the airport would be able to clear immigration using automated lanes, compared to just over one-third, pre-COVID.

Contactless clearance will also be introduced, allowing travellers to be identified and cleared via biometrics at the automated lanes, without having to present their passports. All Singapore residents, long-term pass holders, and departing foreign visitors will be able to enjoy this hassle-free experience and reduced clearance time.

ICA Services Centre and Self-Service Kiosks 
ICA aims to operationalise its new Services Centre in 2025.

Located beside the current ICA Building, the new ICA Services Centre provides a single touchpoint to meet the public’s multiple immigration needs. Documents such as passports can be collected through self-service kiosks during the Centre’s operating hours, without the need to book an appointment. 

These are part of ICA’s efforts to provide the public with a seamless, one-stop “No Fuss, No Visit, No Waiting” experience.

Developing Next-Gen Officers
Accuracy and Impact Manikin

PHOTO: Singapore Prison Service

Singapore Prison Service and HTX are currently trialling an Accuracy and Impact Manikin (or AIM) prototype that is able to measure force and zonal impact, and will help to assess the accuracy of strikes and the deployment of force.

This will enhance the training of our officers in unarmed and defensive tactics, and trainers will be able to monitor the progress of each trainee via a dashboard. 

Prisons and HTX intend to roll out the AIM system by 2026.

Deepening and Widening Stakeholder Engagements and Partnerships
myResponder 2.0
The community plays a crucial role in helping the Home Team achieve its mission. The Home Team will use technology to strengthen our officers’ engagement with the community, rather than replace or diminish it.

Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) myResponder 2.0 app will be rolled out by this year. 

The app has new features such as a video call function, which enables SCDF’s Operations Centre to initiate live video streaming through the Community First Responders’ mobile phone. This will allow Operations Centre personnel to see what is happening on the ground and provide the Community First Responders with live guidance.

This will in turn enable the Responders to provide better and more timely interventions in emergency situations, where every second counts.

MHA Committee of Supply (COS) Debate 2024
Read the speech delivered by Minister for Communications and Information & Second Minister for Home Affairs Mrs Josephine Teo.

For more info on MHA COS 2024, visit the MHA COS 2024 webpage.