Plans unveiled for new police division HQ in Woodlands

SINGAPORE — Preliminary plans for the new police division headquarters at Woodlands were unveiled yesterday at a ground-breaking ceremony held on the construction grounds.

Slated for completion and operation in late 2018, the 12-storey complex at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 3 and Woodlands Street 12 will house, among other facilities, round-the-clock self-service kiosks, the Woodlands West Neighbourhood Police Centre and an auditorium for joint police-community events.

First announced by Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam in 2011, the Singapore Police Force’s seventh division headquarters was initially expected to be ready by this year. Mr Shanmugam had said that it would be part of the ministry’s enhancements to serve residents living and working in Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun and Choa Chu Kang, who are now served by division headquarters in Jurong and Ang Mo Kio.

The HQ was then held off because of changes in operational requirements.

At its launch yesterday, Speaker of Parliament and MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Halimah Yacob called it a “timely development”, as the northern part of Singapore has seen strong growth in the resident population, retail space and transport nodes in recent years.

“Coupled with URA’s Draft 2013 Master Plan to develop the new Woodlands Regional Centre, the community can look forward to an even more vibrant and rejuvenated town, which the new Woodlands division headquarters will keep watch over,” she said.

One unique facility at the headquarters will be a lobby with automated electronic police services for users to lodge police reports. These unmanned kiosks are meant to help reduce waiting time and assist residents who lack online access.

Residents will also continue to be served by police officers on duty, an “important feature for those who are less electronically savvy, especially seniors,” said Madam Halimah.

Similar kiosks are now available only at the Radin Mas and West Coast Neighbourhood Police posts.

Yesterday, Mdm Halimah also launched the Vehicles On Watch project for areas under the jurisdiction of Woodlands West NPC. The project partners residents who have installed closed-circuit television cameras in their vehicles to detect and deter vehicle-related crimes.

As of May, about 760 vehicle owners have joined the project in other estates, such as Bedok, Changi, Geylang, Marine Parade, Pasir Ris and Tampines. Kelly Ng