An innovative new programme shares crime prevention messages with primary school students.
By: Domnic Dass and Christabelle Lim
On 23 December 2021, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) launched Police Pal, our flagship engagement and crime prevention programme for primary school students. Let’s find out more about Police Pal and hear from schools that participated in it!
What is Police Pal?
The Police Pal programme was developed from the Young Police Buddy initiative that was launched by Bedok Division in 2019. In developing this programme, the SPF worked closely with the Ministry of Education’s Character and Citizenship Education Branch to ensure that the programme’s content is engaging and relevant to primary school students.
The Police Pal programme features three activity booklets, which are structured into three levels. Students are required to complete different sets of crime prevention and Police-related activities before advancing to the next level.
Each booklet contains 10 activities that the students can engage in with the help of teachers and parents. Students can also complete the activities outside of school hours.
Meet Ray!
Seven primary schools participated in Police Pal’s pilot run from January to September 2021. It was a success and provided valuable feedback from teachers, allowing the SPF to finetune the programme.
Police Pal was launched on 23 December 2021. In January 2022, Police Pal was rolled out to 116 primary schools and more than 112,000 students.
Each activity booklet also features Ray the lion cub mascot who was unveiled at the launch and whose name signifies the light that he shines to help students raise their awareness of crime. Ray serves as a trustworthy companion and inspires students to learn more about crime prevention and Police work.
Let’s hear from some of the teachers and students who participated in the pilot programme!
Mr Abdul Mohamed Ziawul Haq
Head of Department, Discipline and Student Leadership, Poh Ching School
I found it rewarding teaching the programme as it complements our educational efforts. Through rich discussions based on Police Pal activities, teachers can learn if students can distinguish right from wrong, a key outcome of primary school education.
Social-emotional skills form the cornerstone of value education.
I found that the programme also encompasses several of the social-emotional skills that we deliberately teach our students. These include self-regulation, help-seeking, moral action and problem-solving.
The young generation now faces pressure from many different fronts. Young children need constant reminders about integrity and civic consciousness, among other things. The Police Pal programme is an informative journal for students to be aware of such influences as well as the avenues where they can seek help when they’re in trouble or need.
Mr Daniel Ng
English and Mathematics Teacher, Green wood Primary School
The Police Pal programme is convenient and fuss-free to use, as all the materials needed to complete the activities are included within the activity booklets. The programme provides me with the opportunity to engage my students on safety and security as they embark on their character-building journey and learn how to protect themselves against crime.
My students enjoy going through the programme and the activities, which are meaningful and well-designed. It provided opportunities for me to engage my students on the topic of education and career guidance. Parents can also use the resources to bond with their children.
The Police Pal programme is beneficial for my students as they become more aware of their role in crime prevention and how they can keep themselves safe. With the rise in scams, it is crucial to equip my students with these skills and knowledge to protect themselves.
Lai Yan Lin
Primary 5 student, Greenwood Primary School
The Police Pal programme got me curious to find out more about what Police officers do to keep us safe. In completing the activities, I’ve learnt to protect myself from crimes by not sharing my personal information with strangers and looking out for suspicious-looking persons or objects. I also learnt through the programme that I can avoid being a victim of scams by ignoring suspicious calls, blocking suspicious numbers, and not giving my personal information to strangers.
Saffiya Ali Lim
Primary 5 student, Gan Eng Seng Primary School
The Police Pal programme was a very useful resource for me as I learnt a lot about cyber-bullying and online safety, as well as how to stay safe online. We also learnt where to seek help when we encounter cyber-bullying. Road safety was also another useful topic as we learnt how to look out for cars and why it is dangerous to jaywalk.
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