Service before Self (Part 1)

The Minister’s Awards recognise Home Team officers for their professionalism, dedication and achievements in safeguarding Singapore. We caught up with three of this year’s award recipients to find out more about their passion for the Home Team’s mission.

GRAPHIC: Home Team News

POLCAM 2.0: A VITAL TOOL FOR SAFEGUARDING THE COMMUNITY
Safeguarding the community and fighting crime through the use of technology – that’s the abiding goal of Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Kenneth Nge, Assistant Director, Operations Systems Division, Operations Department, Singapore Police Force (SPF). 

DAC Kenneth joined SPF in 1994. During his seven years in investigations, he helped to set up the Proceeds of Crime Unit in SPF's Commercial Affairs Department, which recovered $24 million in embezzled funds in 2000. A stint with the Police Coast Guard also helped him to learn how technological tools such as radar and GPS can support Police operations during challenging conditions at sea. He was then seconded to the Ministry of Home Affairs before returning to SPF in 2017 to support the expansion of the PolCam network. Under his charge, about 10,500 cameras were installed in 38 town centres, 300 neighbourhood centres, 100 hawker/food centres, and 2,000 linkways, within two years. For his contributions, DAC Kenneth received the Home Team Achievement Award this year.

PHOTO: Joash Tan

PolCam has been a vital investigative tool. Of the many cases that PolCam has helped investigators to solve, is there one case that’s especially meaningful to you? Why? 
There was a case in March 2020 where a 92-year-old man was assaulted and robbed of $1,200. Our investigators were able to swiftly locate and arrest the suspect after combing through the PolCams within the vicinity of the incident. This is just one example among thousands of how PolCam has helped us to bring criminals to justice.

PolCam has helped officers to solve more than 5,000 cases since it was introduced in 2012. The PolCam network has also significantly reduced the time taken to solve crimes, with some cases being closed within hours of a Police report being made. PHOTOS: SPF

As a veteran officer, what would you like to share with members of the public about the Police’s work? 
Criminals are increasingly exploiting technology and their networks to commit crimes. They are becoming more nimble and well-informed, and this increases the challenge of catching them quickly before they prey on victims.  

Timely access to actionable information allows us to fight crime in an increasingly complex operating environment. Cameras and other types of technology have proven to be valuable tools in managing public safety and security; protecting people and property; and deterring, preventing and investigating criminal and security threats.

Later generations of PolCams have enhanced our sensemaking capabilities. The video analytics function, for example, has helped to alert Police about possible matches of person-of-interest involved in specific cases, based on his/her attire. 

How do you feel about receiving the Home Team Achievement Award this year?
I feel extremely honoured and humbled to receive this Award. It’s a recognition of the efforts of many officers who were involved in PolCam 2.0 and the capabilities we’ve developed by bringing together new technology, data and processes. It’s heartening to know that PolCam 2.0 can help assure residents as well as make them feel safer and more confident in SPF’s ability to protect them and their loved ones. – INTERVIEWED BY MIKE TAN

HELPING INMATES START AFRESH
One of the recipients of the Minister for Home Affairs Operational Excellence Award, Irene Tan is a Career Specialist with Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG). She helps inmates find jobs before they are released, to ease their reintegration into society. In 2020, YRSG helped over 2,700 inmates find work, 5% more than the previous year – no mean feat amidst  challenging economic conditions.

PHOTO: Irene Tan

Please share what your work entails. 
The Career Specialist team helps inmates secure gainful employment prior to their release or their emplacement in the Community Based Programme, where they carry out the rest of their remaining sentence in the community. 

Based on an inmate’s skillsets, past employment history, career interests and future goals, we’ll surface available job options and schedule job interviews for them with YRSG’s registered employers.

What challenges do you face at work? 
Not long after I joined the Career Specialist Team in January 2020, the Circuit Breaker was implemented. This was a major disruption to our work as our career guidance and job interview sessions were all conducted physically. We had to quickly go virtual so that the inmates’ rehabilitation can go on as normal.  

We quickly established strict procedures for the use of Internet-enabled devices in order to ensure confidentiality and information security. Other small but important details included scouting for suitable venues to hold the interview sessions. 

How do you feel about receiving the Operational Excellence Award?
Whenever we hit a roadblock in the implementation of our new career guidance and job interview processes, I felt grateful that I could count on my team members for their excellent teamwork and adaptability. It’s heartening to know our efforts have paid off, and that we’ve helped more inmates to secure jobs, even during this challenging period! – INTERVIEWED BY LYNN NG

TAKING THE 3D-PRINTED PATH TO INNOVATION
With focus and the right attitude, we can find ways to innovate just about anywhere! This was the case for Warrant Officer (WO) 2 Anuar Bin Osman of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Having noticed how the chemical agent canisters that SCDF firefighters trained with could be improved, he set out to find a better way. 

PHOTO: Chloe Low

Tell us about your SCDF career.  
I joined SCDF in 2009 and was posted to Paya Lebar Fire Station as a Section Commander. Fast forward to 2017, when I decided to upgrade my skills by undergoing Emergency Medical Technician training. As a fire biker, we’re often the first responders at a scene, and the training helped me to become more well-rounded as a lifesaver. I was appointed Deputy Rota Commander of Paya Lebar Fire Station earlier this year. 

Tell us about some of the innovations you’ve been involved in. 
As part of our training as firefighters for incidents involving chemical agents, we train with various specialised equipment such as personal protective equipment and chemical agent canisters. Rather than using the actual canisters, which can be hard to clean after each training session, we wanted to train with canisters that are practically identical to the actual ones, but which can be easily taken apart, cleaned and reused. 

WO2 Anuar with the 3D-printed prototype (at right) and the finalised training canister. PHOTO: Chloe Low

Having studied Mechanical Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic and completed a part-time course in engineering at Nanyang Technological University, I knew that 3D-printing would help us to trial various prototype canisters quickly, at low cost. 

PHOTO: Chloe Low

We produced three prototype canisters, refining the design over time and tapping on the expertise of our 3D-printing team at SCDF’s 2nd Division. The finalised training canisters are now in use at Paya Lebar Fire Station, and we're looking to introduce it to other SCDF units as well. The 3D-printing project also received a Home Team Innovation (Platinum) Award this year. 

What do you enjoy about the innovation process? 
Focusing on innovation and exploring ways to improve what we do is something that excites me about my work. Finding solutions to our operational challenges is important, but so is the learning journey itself. 

How do you feel about receiving the Home Team Innovation Award this year?
It’s a recognition of the whole team’s efforts, and I feel humbled and gratified that we received it by working together. SCDF’s senior management, our Fire Station commanders and my fellow frontline officers are likeminded and passionate about working together as one. – INTERVIEWED BY MIKE TAN
 

Minister’s Awards Presentation Ceremony 2021
The Minister's Awards Presentation Ceremony was held on 28 October 2021. This year, 194 awards were presented to recognise outstanding officers, teams and agencies that had demonstrated efficiency and competency in major operations, cases and projects, or displayed high standards of innovation and service excellence in the course of their work.

The following categories of awards were presented at the ceremony: Minister for Home Affairs Home Team Achievement Award, Minister for Home Affairs Operational Excellence Awards, Star Service Awards and Home Team Innovation Awards. 

Read the opening speech by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, at the Minister's Awards Presentation Ceremony 2021. 

Read the congratulatory remarks by Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development; and Mr Desmond Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.