Auxiliary Police - Singapore

Singapore

In Singapore, auxiliary police officers are security police appointed under Section 92(1) or (2) of the Police Force Act 2004 and are vested with all the power, protection and immunities of a Police Officer of corresponding rank and are licensed to carry firearms when carrying out their duties.

These armed auxiliary police officers (APO) are full-time paid employees of their respective companies, and are not directly affiliated to the Singapore Police Force. They are appointed as auxiliary police officers only after attending and passing a residential course, the curriculum of which is set by the Security Industry Regulatory Dept. of the Singapore Police Force. Each APO is issued with a warrant card signed by the Commissioner Of Police of the Singapore Police Force.

The first auxiliary police force originated from the unit known as Airport Security Force formed under the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA)in 1956 to meet the needs of aviation at the former Paya Lebar Airport. In July 1963, it was officially designated as an Auxiliary Police Force (APF). In 1965, Malayan Airways formed its own APF. Only APF Officers were allowed to guard premises, aircraft and perform patrols at the Paya Lebar Airport.

In 1967 - when Malayan Airways was renamed Malaysia Singapore Airlines (MSA), the Security Department was called MSA Police. When MSA was broken up into Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines System in 1972, SIA Auxiliary Police Force came into being. In 1973, when Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) was incorporated by SIA as a fully owned subsidiary, SIA Auxiliary Police Force was renamed SATS Auxiliary Police Force. In 1989, it came under the purview of SATS Security Services Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the SATS Group.

There were also other auxiliary police forces in Singapore in the early years such as PSA Police, and Bukom Auxiliary Police. These APF were granted licences and powers under the Police Force Act to operate only in restricted geographical areas e.g. in the ports or airports or Pulau Bukom Island.

In 1972, to meet the need of the commercial world in Singapore for armed guards (used to be provided by the Singapore Police's Guards and Escort Unit), a statutory board named Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation (CISCO) was set up through an Act enacted in Parliament. It held a monopoly in much of the private armed security market, except in specific installations such as the airports where SATS Auxiliary Police and CIAS Auxiliary Police (since renamed AETOS Auxiliary Police) provided armed services and the ports where PSA Auxiliary Police (since merged with AETOS Auxiliary Police) provided armed security requirements.

However, in October 2004, following the enactment of the Police Force Act 2004, these auxiliary police forces (except Bukom Auxiliary Police) were no longer restricted to operate in the airport or seaports and could offer their services throughout the whole island of Singapore. There are now 3 major APFs, namely SATS Auxiliary Police Force, Certis Cisco Auxiliary Police Force and AETOS Auxiliary Police Force, providing armed security services to commercial entities and government bodies in Singapore.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) established the Security Industry Regulatory Department in 2004 to regulate the security industry.

More recently, due to the shortage of officers from the SPF the role of auxiliary police forces have been expanded to enforcement, attending to road related incidents such as collision scenes and conducting patrol duties. Even at times working alongside with the Singapore Police Force themselves.