SecCom’s new base offers upgraded training facilities, boosting operational efficiency and preparedness. Step inside to learn more!
By: Al Cheng and Low Ee Ching
Did you know that the Police Security Command (SecCom) had its origins as the Security Squad? The Squad was formed in April 1950 after an attempt to assassinate the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir Franklin Gimson. The aim of the Squad was to provide protection for the Governor and other senior government officials.
By 1953, the Squad had a strength of about 30 officers and was renamed the Security Section. Following Singapore’s Independence in 1965, the Security Section doubled in size and was renamed the Security Branch. Its mission was to ensure the personal security of the President, Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers. The Branch was later reorganised as SecCom and officially commissioned on 30 June 2000.
In November 2023, SecCom relocated to its new home base at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh from its former base at Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, which had been established in 2004. The new base is specially designed to address the evolving operational and training requirements of SecCom Personal Security Officers (PSOs).
PSOs are trained in areas such as contact tactics, firearms handling, protective driving and tactical medicine. The new training facilities ensure that they’re well-prepared to respond effectively to any incidents that threaten the safety of their protectees.
Indoor Firing Range with Advanced Simulation Capabilities
The new base features a 25-metre, 10-lane firing range that offers a 270-degree range of fire for versatile tactical training scenarios, including shooting from behind barricades or vehicles.
Using a tablet, trainers can remotely control moving targets and simulate various lighting and sound conditions, such as gunshots and explosions. This advanced training system enhances officers’ reaction times and tactical precision.
Flexible Training Space with Customisable Layouts
Officers can also train at the Operations Tactics Training Facility (OTTF), which boasts a large training space with an upper deck observation area. The OTTF features movable partitions that allow for customisable room configurations for diverse training scenarios, including those involving vehicles or low-light conditions.
The facility also supports various set-ups for scenario-based training. These include force-on-force training involving high-stress scenarios (where role-players simulate potential threats) and close-quarters battle training focusing on combat scenarios in confined spaces (like buildings or rooms).
Realistic Hotel Room Setting for Tactical Skills Development
Another new training facility is a mock-up of a hotel room, which provides a realistic training environment for officers to refine their tactical skills. The facility allows officers to practise search techniques and threat item identification, ensuring they’re well-prepared for real-life scenarios.
Always Ready
The new base also allows for future enhancements, ensuring that the training of SecCom officers stays relevant and that officers are always operationally ready.
“The purpose-built base will boost officers’ training capabilities and improve training capacity,” said Superintendent of Police Candice Goh, Head of Planning and Organisational Development at SecCom. “This will better equip our PSOs with the required skills to respond swiftly and effectively to any incidents when performing close protection duties.”
The Protectors
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