Tighter security all around
PUBLISHED ONJuly 09, 2014 10:30 PM
Lights... At Little India:
Additional lighting now being installed in 44 locations. At Geylang: l Street lighting at 36 back alleys will be enhanced.
Camera... At Little India:
Before the Dec 8 riot, there were 113 police cameras in public areas and HDB blocks in Little India. Now, there are 250 police cameras and all 41 HDB blocks in Little India have them.
Another 88 cameras in public areas at Little India will be installed by December next year.
At Geylang:
By 2016, 252 more cameras will be installed in Geylang, adding to the 47 existing ones.
In Singapore:
By 2016, all 10,000 HDB blocks will have police cameras. There are now 18,000 cameras at 3,300 HDB void decks and multi-storey carparks.
Police trials for body-worn and vehicle-mounted cameras are underway. All their fast response cars will be equipped with cameras by the end of next year.
New command, control and communications capabilities will be implemented by the end of the year. Comprising a new combined operations room and advanced communications, imaging and mobile computing technology, front-line officers will be able to build a better picture of the ground situation, especially in rapidly changing scenarios.
Action...At Little India:
Since the riot, the number of patrolling police officers has gone up by 20 to 30 officers every weekend.
A dedicated Special Operations Command (SOC) troop has been deployed there every weekend.
The police are looking at increasing the number of auxiliary police officers (Apos) and private security officers in Little India from 81 to 93 officers.
172 individuals were found consuming alcohol in public during prohibited hours and have been issued with police advisories since April, when the Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Act was passed.
l Legislation related to alcohol restrictions in Little India will be introduced within the next six months.
At Geylang:
There will be stricter enforcement of licensing and parking rules.
In Singapore:
The total number of SOC troopers will be doubled with 300 more officers over the next two to three years.
There will be 12 SOC troops with 44 men each - up from the eight SOC troops with 35 men each that the police have now.
lAt any one time, there will be three SOC troops on standby duty, as opposed to the two now.
Also...
At Little India:
The grass patch at Tekka Lane has been paved over with concrete. Similar works are ongoing for a 10m-wide strip of the field next to Hampshire Road for use as a passenger waiting area for bus services to Little India.
Permanent shelters and queue heads will be provided by the first quarter of next year.
Traffic management: Since June 8, Lembu Road has been closed to vehicles every Sunday from noon to midnight. Campbell Lane will be converted into a pedestrian mall by the first quarter of next year. Two new traffic lights will be installed along Serangoon Road.
In other parts of Singapore:
New dormitories with self-contained housing facilities, such as mini-marts and Internet access, will reduce the need for foreign workers to travel far for basic services.
The Ministry of Manpower will also be establishing a regulatory framework for large foreign worker dormitories
This article was first published on July 8, 2014.
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