A DATABASE containing information such as the location of abandoned buildings is being used in the manhunt for escaped terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari.

The Home Team database, in place since 2005, takes information from officers on the ground to build a comprehensive picture of the terrain and environment.

Revealing the programme, called Operational Terrain Mapping, for the first time yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said it had proven useful in the search for Mas Selamat.

For example, using the database, police took under 24 hours to identify 121 empty buildings he might have used as a hideout, and searched them in just two days.

It also helped police lock down areas with roadblocks, said Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister, at the Home Team Flagship Workshop 2008 yesterday.

The database has been built up from officers who log their observations and register their network of contacts to build a comprehensive database about the terrain.

For example, high-crime areas and possible hideouts for illegal immigrants are all keyed in. Hot spots and vulnerabilities of a particular area are similarly highlighted.

Another initiative which paid off was the Community Engagement Programme (CEP), Mr Wong told about 700 officers at the event. 'Your efforts at building more bridges to the various communities and to prepare them for a crisis have contributed to the rapid mobilisation of community support that we have seen in this current situation,' he said.

Mr Wong yesterday also rallied his troops, saying that while the escape had 'dented the reputation' of the Home Team, its spirit was 'most alive' despite the adversity.

He added that his officers had a lot to be proud of, giving a glowing report card for their performance last year, particularly the drop in crime rates by 6 per cent.

cheekin@sph.com.sg

SEE HOME , 'Home Team falls in to nab terrorist'