Two men, aged 28 and 33, have been arrested for an offence of Affray over the ‘Pokémon GO’ game. This is the first arrest case by the Police related to the popular gaming app.
On 14 August 2016, the Police received a call reporting a dispute between a car driver and a pedestrian at the car park entrance of Plaza Singapura. Preliminary investigations revealed that the pedestrian was playing ‘Pokémon GO’ on his mobile phone while crossing the road. When the car driver sounded his car horn at the pedestrian, a dispute arose and blows were exchanged. The Police arrested both men at scene.
The offence of Affray under Section 267B of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 carries an imprisonment term of up to 1 year or a fine of $5000/-, or both.
The Police have also noted several reports on social media of persons crossing roads without regard for their safety or those of motorists, parking inconsiderately, or generally causing inconvenience to others while allegedly chasing Pokémons. The Police advise Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game safely and urge them to:
• Be aware of your personal safety when out looking for Pokémon. You should play in pairs or as a group to ensure your personal safety.
• Watch where you are walking, be aware of your surroundings and do not walk out onto roads without looking.
• Do not play the game and drive any vehicle or ride any personal mobility device at the same time. You cannot do both safely.
• Do not trespass onto restricted areas and private properties. Do not take pictures of restricted areas.
• Be aware that you are potentially sharing data with others; there could be potential criminals who may seek the opportunity to lure victims to their fake “Pokéstops”.
• Educate your children to stranger-danger at “Pokéstops”.
• Never reveal your personal information and watch out for fake apps or cheat tools. Cyber criminals can access your personal data to commit fraud or hack into your phone with viruses and malware.
In your search to "catch 'em all", please do not endanger your life or personal safety, or cause inconvenience to those around you.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
16 August 2016 @ 2:25 PM