Unified rank structure soon for all police officers

When Police Inspector Sunny Wee, 31, joined the police force 10 years ago with a Diploma in Business Management, he was on a separate track from degree holders.

Last year, he was promoted to a senior officer - five years after he got a Bachelor of Science in Security Management Studies.

But soon, those who join as diploma holders like Insp Wee can look forward to "seamless advancement opportunities up the ranks," said Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam yesterday.

The police will implement a unified rank structure for all officers, he said, signalling a move away from the separate schemes that currently exist for junior and senior officers.

The change is designed to attract more young people to join the force and to retain good officers.

"The unified rank structure will definitely provide better career advancement opportunities for all police officers who perform well consistently," said Insp Wee, who is a special projects manager in the public affairs department.

Looking ahead, he said that he is excited about the announcement of new expert tracks, which he feels "will allow officers to deepen their specialist skills".

Mr Shanmugam told MPs in Parliament that expert tracks would build deep speciality in the key areas of investigations, intelligence and special operations.

Officers with specialised skills can look forward to new career developmental pathways, he added.

Details will be announced at the Police Workplan Seminar later this month.

The changes will be progressively extended to the rest of the Home Team as well, said Mr Shanmugam.

This article was first published on April 7, 2016.
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