The Rise of The Singapore Police Force

“We are living in a haven built with the strengths of those who came before us and it is our duty to uphold their legacy and safeguard the security for our future generations to live in peace”Our Singapore today is one of the safest country in the world, yet our peace and security was not achieved effortlessly. Since our transition from the early colonial-ruled days of a commercial trading port to a first-world state, the success of our story was strongly dependent on the peace and security of life for our citizens in this small nation.

Often, the bulk of our generation —born in a period where security within the country was predominant— are more likely to forget the sacrifices made by our predecessors that laid the foundation of the first world country we live in today. It was only through the study of history that we would come to understand the countless ordeals that they so willingly stood firm to face in order to ensure the stability and future for our nation. Looking back into the lessons learnt from the Singapore Police Heritage Centre, I was intrigued by the history on the birth and transformation of our Singapore Police Force and how numerous heroic individuals devoted their life to forge a society where it’s citizen —regardless of race or religion— could live harmoniously in peace. Beginning from a small force of 12 staffs including commander, Police Chief Francis James Bernard, the formidable growth of our Singapore Police Force is as astounding as it is admirable. Singapore’s first police office was situated within the residence of then-Police Chief Francis James Bernard. It was built at the southern bank of the Singapore river in 1823 with a custom-built basement prison meant for criminals.

Though insignificance in size and capability, it was the initial start of an administration with aims to establish law and order in the country. As the population in Singapore grew with the influx of immigrants and the progression of settlements, more police departments had to be established to specialise in various other responsibilities. For example, the Marine Police with two sampans and a 15-men force was set up in 1824 to combat piracy from the sea, the Detective Branch — which was later renamed to Criminal Investigation Branch— was set up in 1886 to suppress the secret societies, the Police Coast Guard formed in 1916 as well as the Criminal Intelligence Department in 1925. The history of Singapore’s violent crimes dated back to the earliest Hokkien-Teochew Riots involving over 5000 people in May 1854 which started over the mere price of a bag of rice and led to the death of 500 people and damage to 300 homes over a period of 10 days. As unfortunate as it was, the riot further exemplified how the initial police force was incapable to deal with such conflicts arising from the growth of secret societies. Then, there was the Hock Lee Bus Riots back in May 1955 with the aftermath of 4 dead and 31 injured and most recently the Little India Riot in Dec 2013 with a staggering crowd size of over 400, leaving 18 injured. The case studies of these crimes further amplifies how the Singapore Police Force plays a significant role in safeguarding the peace in this country. The contributing factors that led to the rapid growth of secret societies was mainly the lack of resources from the government to quell the heinous and audacious crimes committed in broad daylight with little regard for the police force.

Daring crimes such as murder, illegal gambling, kidnapping and drug trafficking were customary in the streets as gangs battled and killed each other over territories and power. In order to take a more deliberate stand against the secret societies, the first central police station located at South Bridge road was built in 1867 with hopes to suppress and impede the secret societies from growing stronger. It was a struggle that lasted over many decades with countless of prominent figures dedicating the peak of their life to the battle for eternal peace. The history of these prominent figures started with the first commissioner of police, Thomas Dunman, who stood at the helms from 1856 to 1871. Under his command, he implemented the training and built up the overall discipline of the police force. With him at the forefront, the police force achieved a significant decline to the crimes in Singapore. Dunman road was later named after him for his exemplary contributions to the development of the police force. Throughout the years, many other outstanding individuals were recognised for their efforts in their confrontation against criminality, some of whom laid down their lives to ensure the safety of the public. They are the ones we will remember for decades to come, because they took a stand and fought hard to believe in what was right.

They were firm in their struggle against unlawful behaviours and showed us that if we want to prosper as a country, we must first be ready to defend and protect the interest of our citizens. Though the story on the rise of the Singapore Police Force is inspiring, we must never ever forget the heap of ashes that was buried over the years during Singapore’s struggle for true order. It was a dark and weary time for our nation and we must never fall back into the olden days where heinous crimes threatens the unity and safety of our people. The fact of the matter is that true order comes only with the assistance of her citizens to guide the younger generations to live harmoniously regardlessly of race or religion and to advocate the danger of falling victims into the clutches of misdemeanour. We are a small nation built with the blood of those who took a stand against criminality and we must unite to protect our way of life. For true peace comes from within and stability is a gift we can bequeath to our children’s children.