2,000 more officers to be added to Home Team: DPM Teo

SINGAPORE — Over the next five years, 2,000 more officers will be added to the Home Team to cope with Singapore’s future security challenges, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Committee of Supply debate today (March 6).

These officers will cope with increasing traveller volumes, boost frontline policing and emergency medical services, and improve response to public order incidents and fires.

The MHA will also step up investments to leverage systems and technology as force multipliers, said Mr Teo.

The ministry expects to increase its development expenditure gradually from 8 per cent in the past five years to about 20 per cent over the next five years.

In the next five years, a new Police Divisional Headquarters and two fire stations will be built to meet the increased demand from new towns and commercial centres.

During the debate, some Members of Parliament raised their concerns about the security of Singapore’s checkpoints with the growing number of passengers and cargoes.

To further improve immigration clearance and border security, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) will conduct a trial at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to capture the fingerprints of all arriving persons from next month.

The fingerprints are used to verify the traveller’s identity before he is allowed entry to Singapore and will facilitate automated self-clearance during his departure from the terminal.

“If the trial is successful, ICA will implement this system progressively at other checkpoints,” said Mr Teo.