Singapore police to launch new vocation vs. cybercrime

New programmes encouraging public participation will also be introduced.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said a new Cyber Police National Service vocation will be introduced later this year that aims to enhance efforts to fight online crimes. 

Speaking at the Singapore Police Force Workplan Seminar 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat noted that scams and cybercrimes made up more than 70% of the total crime cases reported in the city-state in 2023, up from around 48% in 2020.

The rollout of the new vocation will allow the police to better tap the expertise of full-time national servicemen (NSF), Heng said. They can be deployed to the Cybercrime Command (CCC) and the Anti-Scam Command (ASC), he added.

Heng hopes this will push NSFs “to deepen their expertise in the field, which would position them to seize new opportunities in our digital economy.”

Aside from this, Heng announced two new initiatives that will allow the public to work with the SPF in going after cyber scams.

First is the “Cyber Guardians on Watch” programme that will send participants timely cybercrime alerts and advisories from the police. These can be disseminated to other people to raise awareness, Heng said.

The “Cyber Guardians” will also work with the police by reporting suspected malicious activities through digital platforms, he added.

Another initiative is the Cyber Crime Prevention Ambassadors programme. Heng said this was modelled after the National Crime Prevention Council’s Crime Prevention Ambassadors scheme. 

Volunteers will undergo specialised training to equip them with knowledge on the latest online crime trends. They will also work with the SPF to engage and educate the community on cybercrime prevention measures at roadshows and various community events, Heng said. 

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“These will go hand-in-hand with SPF’s continued investments in building new capabilities to tackle new threats,” the official said.