PUBLISHED ONAugust 24, 2026 7:00 AMUPDATEDAugust 25, 2026 3:49 AMBYDana LeongAlarm bells were ringing for 55-year-old Ow Cheow Yam when he boarded an empty bus and noticed an older man sit next to a girl and brush his hand against her thigh.
"Community safety is everyone's responsibility," he said, speaking to the media after receiving the SaferSG Public Spiritedness Award on Aug 17 for his swift actions in confronting a suspect and assisting a victim of molestation on public transport.
Recounting the incident on June 27, Ow said that he spotted the victim pressing herself against the bus window and looking uncomfortable.
The assistant operations manager said: "I felt very angry, but I couldn't ascertain the act."
To avoid arousing suspicion from the suspect, he approached the girl, pretending to ask for directions while showing her his mobile phone with the text: 'Do you know the man sitting beside you?'
Speaking to AsiaOne, he said that the victim was "so relieved to see (the message)" and nodded her head vigorously in a plea for help.
Ow subsequently confronted the suspect, alerted the bus captain and requested police assistance.
Reflecting on the incident, Ow said: "A lot of times, victims suffer in silence. I just hope that my actions can create some awareness and encourage people to stand up."
@asiaone 55-year-old Ow Cheow Yam, a SaferSG Public Spiritedness Award recipient, shares how he stepped in to help an outrage of modesty victim — and why keeping the community safe is everyone’s responsibility. #sgnews #Singapore #Safety #NotAllHeroesWearCapes ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
His actions mirror a year-long anti-sexual crime campaign launched by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in April.
Known as "Don't be a Bystander! SPOT it. Report it.", the campaign encourages members of the public to intervene safely and report sexual offences through the S.P.O.T. action protocol: Spot inappropriate behaviour, Protect the victim and oneself, Observe key details and Tell the Police.
This comes amid a rising number of outrage of modesty cases in Singapore, which rose to 762 cases in the first half of 2026 — a 3.1 per cent increase from 739 cases in the same period last year.
In its mid-year crime brief released on Monday (Aug 24), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that the total number of physical crime cases reported remained stable in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with a slight decrease of 0.4 per cent.
There were 10,287 physical crime cases reported in the first half of 2026, down slightly from 10,325 cases in the same period last year, with outrage of modesty, shop theft and theft in dwelling being the top crimes of concern.
A total of 762 outrage of modesty cases were reported from January to June in 2026, compared to 739 within the same time frame last year, accounting for 7.4 per cent of the total number of physical crime cases.
According to the police, the top three locations where outrage of modesty offences were committed in the first half of 2026 were residential premises, public transport and public entertainment outlets.
In particular, the number of cases committed in residential premises rose to 227 in the first half of 2026, up from 172 in the same period last year.
Cases at public entertainment outlets also rose to 58 in the first half of 2026, and the police said that they will continue to work closely with nightlife operators and stakeholders to strengthen crime prevention efforts and promote a safe environment for patrons.
More than half of the outrage of modesty cases involved offenders known to their victims, according to SPF.
The number of outrage of modesty cases within the public transport network involving offenders unknown to their victims decreased by 25.7 per cent, from 74 cases in the first half of 2025 to 55 cases in the same period this year, said the police, adding that they will continue to sustain enforcement, public education and community vigilance within the transport network.
"The Public Transport Security Command, in collaboration with the Land Transport Authority and public transport operators, will also launch refreshed crime prevention visuals at key MRT stations to enhance public awareness of sexual crimes in September," the police said.
Shop theft accounted for 20.4 per cent of total physical crimes in the first half of 2026, and remains one of the top offences committed by youths.
According to the report, the number of shop theft cases increased by 2.2 per cent to 2,095 cases in the first half of the year, with items such as food and beverages, personal care products, alcoholic drinks, apparel and accessories being stolen.
The report also detailed the retail outlets with the highest number of reported shop thefts, with the top five being:
To combat shop theft, the police is working with retailers and retail associations to strengthen outlet-level crime prevention measures.
Retailers are also encouraged to review store layouts, strengthen staff vigilance, adopt appropriate detection technologies and participate in the Shop Theft Awareness for Retailers (STAR) programme.
At the same time, the police said that theft in dwelling cases increased by 0.6 per cent to 730 cases in the first half of 2026, which accounted for 7.1 per cent of total physical crime.
The police also noted that the increase was most notable in residential premises across both private and public residences — with theft in dwelling cases in these premises increasing by 25.1 per cent.
Comparatively, cases at commercial premises and other premises including dormitories decreased.
Senior Assistant Commissioner Leon Chan, director of SPF's operations department, said: "Singapore's overall physical crime situation remained stable in the first half of 2026, and Singapore continues to be one of the safest places in the world."
"Businesses, community partners and members of the public all have a role to play in preventing, deterring and detecting crime. SPF will continue to work closely with our stakeholders and the community to keep Singapore safe and secure."
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