IN FOCUS: Crime’s on the rise in some Singapore neighbourhoods. But there’s more than meets the eye

SINGAPORE: Having lived in Yishun for over 10 years, Ting Jian Rong comes prepared with a quip whenever he’s asked about the neighbourhood in Singapore’s north: “We have a lot of ‘crazy’ people here, but we don’t have criminals!”

The 31-year-old was poking fun at Yishun’s largely social media-fuelled reputation for being a place of danger and just bad news overall, from misdemeanours to cat abuse cases and even more serious transgressions.

Online chatter swelled to such an extent that in 2018, the area’s Nee Soon town council released a report with statistics to show that Yishun was not the crime hotspot it’s made out to be.

More recent figures from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) back this up. Both Yishun North and Yishun South Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) were among the most improved in terms of annual crime cases recorded, with the number dropping by at least 50 per cent over a decade from 2013 to last year.

It matches the anecdotal, lived experience of Mr Ting, who works in the air freight sector. He recalled that about ten years ago, loanshark harassment was a big issue around his estate.

But this has ceased to be the case and seems to have been replaced by a more modern scourge, as he’s noticed more anti-scam messaging in his neighbourhood in recent times.

What’s happening in Yishun has been mirrored in most of Singapore’s 35 NPCs: A drop in physical crime – including in Geylang, another notorious locale – combined with increased awareness that location now matters less in a digital age.

Scam cases in the first half of 2024, for instance, rose 16.3 per cent compared with the same period last year.

White-collar crime has also taken centrestage in Singapore, after a S$3 billion money laundering case involving 10 foreigners made global headlines. 

This changing nature of crime and as a result, crime prevention has already driven a shake-up of what policing constitutes, according to experts.

Tap on the map to see trends for preventable crime cases across Singapore’s Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs), over the past decade:

THE YOUNGER THE OFFENDER

The statistics, which are publicly available, related to what police term as five “preventable” crimes: Robbery, housebreaking, snatch theft, theft of motor vehicle and outrage of modesty.

“Considering that the number of crimes is low overall, the public should not jump to the conclusion that some areas are more dangerous,” Associate Professor Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim, head of the public safety and security programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, cautioned.

“Instead, they should review the data and look at the crime trend comprehensively and not panic.”

Of note was the close relationship between age and offending, as highlighted by criminologist Olivia Choy, an assistant professor at the Nanyang Technological University.

“At the aggregate level, prevalence of offending peaks in the late teenage years, and then declines afterward,” she said.

“Based on this phenomenon, we would expect to see a greater deal of crime and delinquency in areas with more adolescents and young adults, rather than if the same areas were occupied by older adults or younger children.”

Of the 35 NPCs across the country, only four — Punggol, Marina Bay, Sengkang and Sembawang — recorded an increase in the number of crime cases over the decade, based on data last updated in September.

Citing government statistics, real estate advisory OrangeTee Group's chief researcher and strategist Christine Sun noted that the three residential planning areas among the four did indeed have a higher proportion of teenagers than the average across the country.

A 65-year-old Yishun resident, who only wanted to be known as Mr Ang, told CNA that in the past, the demographic was younger and might have run into more issues typically faced by those in that age group, such as gambling addiction and loanshark borrowing.

The kitchen helper, who has lived in Yishun Ring Road for over 40 years, said: “Now those residents have grown older; they have new responsibilities and priorities in life; they have their own families.”

Ms Carrie Tan, a Nee Soon Member of Parliament since 2020, said Yishun’s improved 10-year crime statistics reflected the “strong community spirit and effective policing efforts” that have contributed to a safer environment in the area.

She added that the police regularly take part in community events to raise crime awareness, and also engage residents through initiatives such as the Community Watch Scheme.

And Ms Tan emphasised that social support was “vital”.

“We’ve expanded financial assistance, welfare support, and mental health resources to help residents manage stress and prevent situations that might otherwise lead to crime.”

RED LIGHT DISTRICT NO MORE

Another standout data point related to outrage of modesty, which consistently made up the bulk of cases across NPCs.

While only four neighbourhood police centres saw a rise in overall crime, 21 actually recorded a climb in outrage of modesty cases.

Mention such “sex crimes” and for many, Geylang would come to mind.

After the Little India riots in 2013, then-police commissioner Ng Joo Hee remarked that the cops were in fact more worried about Geylang because “all the indicators for potential trouble are there”.

He called Geylang a “hot spot” for crimes such as illegal gambling and drug dealing, and where there was worryingly overt hostility and antagonism towards police presence.

Over the next 10 years, however, Geylang’s NPC recorded the biggest – 66.2 per cent – drop in crime cases.

Financial adviser Brandon Koh, who has lived in the Cassia Crescent estate in Geylang since he was six, said: “Last time, we could hear people running and chasing each other around and shouting at night. Nowadays, no more.”

The 28-year-old believes the fall in crime has to do with Geylang NPC relocating in 2019 from Paya Lebar Road to Cassia Link, closer to the infamous Geylang Road stretch.

“The frequent presence of the police officers nearby will have a deterrent effect on any would-be criminals,” said Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan, who has been in office since 2006.

Ms Utkalika Sahoo, who lives in Geylang and works as a cashier at Wandiantonglian convenience store in Geylang Lorong 22, told CNA she doesn’t feel unsafe even though she closes shop around 11.30pm daily.

But she also said Geylang hasn’t completely shrugged off its reputation.

Last month, Ms Utkalika wanted to book a mobile hairdresser to come to her home, but was told the service was not provided in the area due to its associations with vice.

Still, MPs overseeing the neighbourhood said they’ve received fewer complaints from residents — in tandem with feedback on their increased comfort and security.

Dr Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, MP for Jalan Besar since 2020, pointed to what he said were simple but impactful changes, like installing better street lighting.

The area’s urban redevelopment over the years has also helped reduce the concentration of vice-related activities, he said.

“This shift has been essential in gradually reshaping the area’s reputation and dispelling outdated stereotypes.“

BUILT-UP PLACES

Among the NPCs which saw a spike in crime, Marina Bay — with its 71.7 per cent jump — was the only one located in the city district.

A breakdown of crimes committed by locals and foreigners was not available, but Mr Jason Chua, who teaches criminal law at Temasek Polytechnic, said a post-pandemic upswing in visitor numbers may have contributed.

“Many tourists flocked to Singapore and many events went back in full swing, with mega events such as the F1 race – which drew over 260,000 attendees – Marina Bay Singapore Countdown, Chingay Parade and National Day Parade,” he said.

“With more people, naturally, the incidence of crime rises.”

Crime cases also climbed by 95 per cent in Punggol — the biggest surge — followed by 14.8 per cent in Sengkang and 6.5 per cent in Sembawang.

"Generally, there are more HDB (Housing Board) flats that have been built and reached MOP (minimum occupation period) in Punggol, Sengkang and Sembawang in recent years," said OrangeTee’s Ms Sun.

Residents in Punggol were generally unfazed and said they still felt safe.

Aircraft technician Mohammed Salah, 27, who lives in Punggol Central, said one reason could be that the area was not a mature estate, with some parts not fully developed and lacking things like police cameras.

But he said the 2022 relocation of Punggol NPC from Tebing Lane to his neighbourhood has increased police presence.

“A lot of the back roads are opening up, so it’s easier for the police cars to move around,” noted Mr Salah.

Other residents told CNA they’d observed police officers patrolling on foot regularly.

“NO BOUNDARIES”

For Mr Chua, the polytechnic lecturer, the overall drop in crime cases throughout Singapore can be attributed in part to the installation of more police cameras, providing surveillance on the ground.

The SPF previously announced that by the mid-2030s, more than 200,000 police cameras will be installed in public areas islandwide to improve safety and security and help investigations.

Higher penalties imposed by the courts in recent years may have also prompted would-be criminals to think twice before offending, Mr Chua added.

But experts and authorities also stressed the evolving, increasingly less physical nature of crime and crime prevention.

“Considering the increase in online and tech-facilitated crime, jurisdiction is not a good indicator considering there are no boundaries when it comes to them,” said Assoc Prof Razwana.

The police also told CNA it has been dealing with more sophisticated and transnational crimes, including financial crimes and money laundering.

With Singapore an international financial centre and a trading and transit hub, criminals could exploit its economic openness and business infrastructure to move illicit funds and assets, the SPF said.

Criminals could also convert their illicit funds to other assets here, like real estate or precious stones and precious metals.

The police announced a slew of initiatives in May in recognition of the changing landscape — and to get the public further involved.
 
These include public education campaigns and stepped-up dissemination of cybercrime alerts and advisories. 

SPF’s Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) has also conducted 13 island-wide enforcement operations in the first half of 2024 alone, leading to the investigation of over 4,000 money mules and scammers.
 
More than 140 joint interventions by ASCom and Community Policing Units were also conducted in that period, averting more than S$36.5 million (US$27 million) in potential losses.

Other efforts include an app released in 2020 to block scam calls and detect scam SMSes.

PRESENT AND RELEVANT

Meanwhile, the police have also been consolidating physical resources.

Woodlands Police Division was launched in late 2018 to better serve a growing population across the north, northeastern and western parts of Singapore, especially new estates in Punggol and Tengah.

SPF will also merge its Yishun North and Yishun South NPCs into one neighbourhood police centre on Dec 18, as part of a shift to pool resources “from smaller, geographically-linked NPCs to form a larger base”.

“It is part of our ongoing efforts to review and restructure ground deployments across our 35 NPCs, to better meet the evolving security challenges and the community’s needs.”

Experts told CNA that NPCs still have a part to play in Singapore.

For one, the very presence of a police outpost in a neighbourhood serves as a visual deterrent.

“Prevention is better than cure, and the NPC is still relevant being that symbolic authority,” said Assoc Prof Razwana.

She said its role is no longer just about traditional policing, but proactively “working with the community and collecting data and information”.

Mr Chua pointed out that the Community Policing Units are often based within NPCs too. 

These units were introduced back in 2012 to build closer relationships between the police and residents, through the likes of Citizens on Patrol and Neighbourhood Watch Group efforts.

“Crime prevention is a shared responsibility. Everyone can contribute to the safety and security of Singapore,” the police said.

Preschool teacher Amelia Quah, who has lived in Punggol Drive for three years, agrees.

Beyond the sight of the men in blue keeping watch over her neighbourhood, it’s the community elements which make the 26-year-old feel more assured – including something as modest as a convenience store under her block, which is open 24/7.

"So at least the place is well-lit," she said. "And there's always someone else around in case anything happens."