I will admit this is not a very major issue, however it's still something I feel slightly peeved about - the fact there's now no space for public parking at police stations in Singapore. I feel it adds to a growing perception that the Police are moving away from their stated aim of serving the public and instead expects the public to accommodate to their wishes.
I am not asking for public parking spaces in all uniformed services, like the military or civil defense. Generally there should be no real reason for the public to go to army camps or fire stations, unless by invitation, as such they are under no obligation to provide parking space. That said some army camps do actually provide these, just outside the guardhouse. I believe the Civil Defense Academy also provides this. Only the Police denies this service.
No one expects to be allowed to drive into the SOC Queensway Base. This unit does not serve the public directly.
I am not asking for lots in specialist units like the Special Operations Command, Gurkha Contigent, Security or Transport Commands, etc. These units do not handle public on a day to day basis. Rather it's the 6 police stations, their respective NPCs, Traffic Police and maybe the Airport Police. These units deal with the public daily, either those who come in to lodge various reports, retrieve/hand over found items or to attend interviews and statement taking. Previously all provided some parking lots, maybe in the range of 5-8. However all this has now gone.
The Sept 11 attacks gave the Govt a good reason to find another 'bogeyman.' Like their US counter-parts, it seems that a DPM or senior Minister does not attend public functions where the whole Cabinet is in attendance, but kept in an 'undisclosed location.'
No explanation was given for this change but the most plausible reason I can think of - is the link to terrorist attacks on police stations in certain cities elsewhere. I think this change came after the Sept 11 attacks in 2001. Some may argue all the steps taken by the Police and Govt was in an abundance of caution, while others might think it's typical fear-mongering - always finding a 'bogeymen' who's out to get Singapore, in this case, Muslim extremists angry at our support of the USA's actions following those attacks. Some may say it's justified given the arrests of a JI cell based in Singapore that intended to attack US sailors and foreign embassies. Others find the link tenuous, noting that the places these kind of attacks took place were in hot-spots like Pakistan, Indonesia, even Northern Ireland or in countries that openly supported US led the Iraq and Afghan Wars. True Singapore had a team stationed in the latter, but they were supposedly 'medical', just a tiny number and we were 1 of numerous countries that provided non combat support.
A JI cell operating in Singapore with plans of a large scale attack was detected and later busted.
Now coming to police stations here, even that JI cell's plans had nothing to do with attacking the police, it was targeted at the US and foreign embassies whose countries provided open military support, or as is always a possibility - an attack on Israeli missions. These are the targets that had these kind of attacks in various countries - not local police stations with local people.
However let's accept this possibility for the Police response here. They have to act with caution and take preventive measures (Pity they did not take similar preventive action to prevent the Little India riot or the Kovan murders). As such the police must bar all private vehicles driven by the public from entering/parking at police stations. Ostensibly this is to prevent someone from loading his car or van with explosives and then triggering a suicide or controlled explosion. Ok fair enough, perhaps we gotta swallow this quite plausible explanation. However in a similar vein, we cannot be expected to swallow the reasons for police officers to be able to drive their own private cars into the station and park it therein.
A communist car bomb attack along Still Road in 1974. A bomb can be planted in any vehicle, not just an ordinary person's but even a policeman's without his knowledge.
Of course I'm not suggesting a police officer will deliberately laden his car with explosives and then do the unthinkable by using it to blow the station up. Rather I'm suggesting, any determined terrorist can easily affix, attach or plant explosives on/in/under these cars without the knowledge of these officers. Time and again you can see police officers driving their personal vehicles in (and out0 of stations without any form of checks whatsoever, either by an 'under-carriage mirror', searching of the trunk or the vehicle's interior. They are just waved through. So what justifiable reason is there to deny the public to do likewise and be able to drive in, and yet allow these officers in? Even so, if these officer's cars are now subjected to checks, why can't the same be done for the public?
The failure to use this kind of mirrors amongst other checks on policemen's cars defeats the whole purpose of banning the public's private cars from entering the stations.
I don't see how the Police can explain away this one. They are just taking the easy way out and in doing so greatly inconveniencing the public. Officers manning the gates tell the public to park in nearby public or HDB lots, it sounds easy and logical, however some of these stations do not have public carparks nearby. In some HDB estates, parking is reserved for season ticket holders after a certain time and the nearest public lots are a distance away. Some stations like Tanglin and Traffic Police have very limited public lots nearby, these are inevitably always occupied. You have to park a distance away. In rainy weather, this becomes very frustrating especially when you don't have an umbrella. Moreover some people do not think of umbrellas, ensuring they have sufficient parking coupons or topped up cash cards, when driving to police stations. They are in a stressful mood, concerned about their complaint, not about where and how to park. And not all find it convenient to take public transport, some live faraway and come late in the night. Why can't they drive their vehicles if they have one, and it's convenient to do so?
Traffic Police HQ, is the one station, you'd expect to drive to, since it involves vehicles. Doesn't the management realise they should assist the public in providing some parking instead of having them park elsewhere, even worse with no coupons or indiscriminately and thus get another summons whilst settling one?
Back to the issue of policemen driving to and from work and parking their cars in the station. Why should they have the convenience of doing so, and then deny the very public they are supposed to serve of it? Are the police, public servants or their masters? Then we may ask, do they pay parking charges? If not, why not? Yes we can accept that certain key officers like the Commander, his deputy, the Heads of Departments should be given parking spaces, maybe even free of charge, given the importance of their roles. They need easy access into the station especially when a major incident occurs. But the same cannot be for all other officers, at the expense of the public. They must also pay for parking, the public can also be charged. If they aren't charged, then likewise the public must also be allowed in free as well.
Nice slogans, but what about accountability, preventing incidents and serving the public, instead of getting them to do these for you?
Given the amount leeway that the Police Management are allowed to get away with, without offering concrete reasons for their recent failures, I'm not hopeful this very poor action will ever be rectified. From the Commissioner down, the top brass remain oblivious to the issues on the ground, failing to take proper preventive measures, pushing the buck and finding the easy options. They are immune to criticisms, brushing them aside, quick to take credit and embrace praise, while paying lip service about serving the public. Meanwhile the public have to suffer because of their failings and continue to stomach it, and just hope that somehow, somewhere, by some stroke of luck, they will eventually come to their senses and rectify things.
Sir Nelspruit
*The writer blogs at http://anyhowhantam.blogspot.sg/