The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and HTX (Home Team Science and Technology Agency) will trial two prototypes of the Police Beacon to augment the Police’s operations at Punggol Waterway Park Connector and Sengkang Riverside Park Connector for a year from December 2020.
The Police Beacon aims to enhance police presence, increase accessibility to emergency services and improve police response to those in need of police assistance in locations that are quieter and more secluded. These are achieved through the integration of various technologies within the Police Beacon.
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Enhanced police presence - The Police Beacon and its CCTVs serve as a visible projection of police presence even when Police officers are not physically present.
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Increased accessibility - Members of the public can be connected quickly and directly to the Police via the Police Beacon should they require police assistance in emergency situations, especially in locations which are quieter with lower human traffic.
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Improved response – The Police Beacon is equipped with a range of intervention tools including siren, blinkers, floodlights, speakers and CCTVs which can be activated to aid in interim sense-making by the Police and provide assistance to the public before the arrival of the responding Police officers.
The key features of the Police Beacon include:
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Motion detection lights. Lights furnished with motion detectors will turn on when a person approaches the Police Beacon. These lights seek to enhance public safety at night, especially in quiet locations.
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Communications button linked to Police Operations Command Centre (POCC). Members of the public can have direct and real-time access to the Police during an emergency. Through direct interaction with the Police, members of the public will be able to interact directly with the Police, provide information and request for help.
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CCTVs. The real-time video footages of the Police Beacon’s surroundings can be viewed at POCC, and will complement the Police’s sense-making and incident management capabilities. With the CCTVs, the Police can better assess live situations and thus be better equipped to assist members of the public in real time.
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Police warning system. The blinkers, siren, floodlights and speakers can be remotely operated by the POCC, and can serve as an interim intervention option to provide assistance to members of the public before Police officers arrive.
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Electronic screen. The electronic screen will display crime prevention messages in support of the Police’s outreach efforts.
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Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Members of the public can have immediate access to interim medical help in an emergency. The Police will also be alerted when the AED box is accessed, and assess if emergency medical services need to be mobilised.
With these capabilities, the Police Beacon will serve to further deter crime and enhance public safety. Should the trial prove to be successful, the public can look forward to seeing more Police Beacons being deployed in park connectors and other public spaces in future.
The Policing Programme Management Centre (PPMC) at HTX worked with SPF to conceptualise and design the Police Beacon. Bernard Phang, Director of PPMC said,
“The Police Beacon is an integration of various technologies such as audio and live-video technologies, and sensors to enable the Police to respond much faster to incidents at public spaces. The Police Beacon acts as an additional node for the public to report incidents during emergencies at the press of a button and facilitates Police intervention through remote activation. We look forward to continue working with the SPF to enhance the capability of the Beacon.”
Director of Operations, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Lian Ghim Hua said, “The Police Beacon aims to enhance the sense of public safety and provide members of the public with better accessibility to the Police, especially in times of emergency. It will further improve the Police’s operational effectiveness in deterring and responding to crime. The Police will continue to explore and adopt technology to enhance our capabilities to keep Singapore safe and secure.”
| Front View of Police Beacon |
Features |
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A: Siren / Blinkers (remotely activated from POCC) B: CCTVs (provides real-time video footages to POCC) C: Floodlights (remotely activated from POCC) D: Speakers (remotely activated from POCC) E: Electronic Screen (displays crime prevention messages) F: Motion detection lights (lights up when a person approaches) G: Communications Button (provides direct access to a Police operator in POCC) |
| Back View of Police Beacon |
Features |
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H: AED Box |
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
11 December 2020 @ 6:30 PM