Neighbourhood police posts to dismantle emergency communication system
SINGAPORE : The Singapore Police Force has decided to dismantle
the Emergency Communication System at all its neighbourhood police
posts islandwide from December 1 due to low usage.
The decommissioning process is expected to be completed by 1 January 2009.
The system was introduced some 10 years ago when counter service hours at police posts were shortened.
Members of the public could use it to contact the police on urgent
matters when Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) officers were re-deployed
for patrols during the hours that the post was closed.
However, with the heavy penetration of mobile phones among the
public today, the police now say the emergency system has outlived its
usefulness.
For the whole of last year, fewer than 100 calls across the country were made through the system.
According to the police, the public can still use the emergency number 999 free of charge from any public or mobile phone.
Police reports can also be made at any of the 32 24-hour neighbourhood police posts islandwide.
For non-urgent cases which do not require immediate police action, members of the public can also lodge a police report at the Electronic Police Centre. - CNA /ls