In the days leading up to the detonation of a World-War-II era bomb, the Police conducted a public outreach operation and had eyes in the sky to ensure that all went well.
By: Amanda Wong
On 20 September 2023, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) was alerted to the discovery of an object believed to be an unexploded war relic found during excavation works at a construction site along Upper Bukit Timah Road.
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was activated to verify the object, and assessed the object to be a 100kg World War II aerial bomb. Due to the cracks and damage observed on the relic, the bomb was determined to be unsafe for relocation and must be disposed of on-site. The on-site controlled disposal operation was set for 26 September 2023.
The Clock is Ticking: Reaching Out to Residents
The SPF had less than a week to mobilise a range of stakeholders, plan for and execute an urgent bomb disposal operation that was surrounded by residences, businesses and a school. More than 500 Police officers were activated during the four-day operation, from the preparation process to the day of the disposal.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Jerald Tan, Commander of Jurong Police Division, spearheaded the intensive public outreach process prior to the disposal of the bomb. His focus was to ensure the safety of over 4,000 affected residents in the immediate area.
“We invited affected residents to a town hall engagement session for a briefing and clarifications held on 24 September,” explained AC Tan. “Our officers also reached out to households that were unable to attend the session to ensure that everyone was adequately informed by 25 September.”
Final Hours: Mapping Technology Takes Flight
Besides the public outreach operation, the Police also had to meticulously study the affected area to develop a comprehensive operation plan. As the publicly available standard satellite images didn’t capture the existing construction site where the bomb was located or other relevant details, this posed a challenge for effective planning.
With a large area to map within a short timeframe, the Police deployed the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to enhance operational effectiveness. This was also the first time that UAVs had been deployed in Singapore for such an operation.
The drone was equipped with a mapping technology - a camera to capture high-resolution imagery and data to create accurate maps that can aid in operations planning. Flying high over the area, the Police drones were able to obtain a literal bird’s-eye view.
Once the imagery had been captured, officers tapped on geospatial mapping capabilities to stitch them together into a single image, within minutes. This image was then overlayed onto the existing standard satellite image, offering a detailed 2D map of the affected area.
Superintendent of Police (Supt) Sum Tuck Meng, Head of UAV Operations and Training at the Home Team UAV Unit, offered a measured assessment of the results: “In this case, the use of drones greatly enhanced our operational planning by allowing us to leverage technology to speed up scene processing.”
D-Day: On the Ground
On the day of the operation, the SPF enforced a 200-metre cordon around the site of detonation and more than 4,000 affected residents had to be evacuated. Road closures were also imposed in the vicinity from 11am onward to ensure the safety of the public.
Police officers were also deployed to assist in the smooth evacuation of residents before the disposal commenced and Traffic Police officers were on hand to guide motorists along affected areas for a smooth traffic flow.
3… 2... 1: Ready for the Countdown
Once residents had been evacuated and the necessary preparations completed, the bomb disposal exercise could then begin. In the operations room, Police officers worked alongside counterparts from other government agencies, such as the SAF, Housing Development Board, Land Transport Authority and Infocomm Media Development Authority. Together, they monitored the event closely.
The bomb was disposed of in two stages, at 12:30pm and 1:45pm. Residents were then finally allowed to return home at around 5pm following the completion of checks by government agencies such as the Building and Construction Authority. Indeed, close coordination across the various government agencies was essential to the success of the operation.
AC Tan felt a sense of pride on how Jurong Police Division had coordinated such a significant operation. “Despite the short timeframe, our officers rose to the occasion and worked hard to ensure the safety of the public,” he said. “I’m grateful for their dedication and professionalism.”
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