Law enforcement in Singapore

Generally, law enforcement in Singapore comes under the direct purview of the Singapore Police Force, the main government agency entrusted with the maintenance of law and order in Singapore. Assisting the police force, are a range of governmental as well as private sector organisations and companies who engage in specialised roles and allow the main force to concentrate on their main public policing roles. In addition, the strong emphasis on community policing since the 1980s has attempted to promote a culture in which the man in the street can partake and contribute directly in law enforcement efforts.

Agencies

In addition to the Singapore Police Force, other government agencies also enforce specific laws as follows:

• Central Narcotics Bureau, which deals with drug related offences
• Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, which enforces anti-corruption laws
• Employment Inspectorate Department or the Ministry of Manpower, which deals with violations of manpower regulations like the employment of illegal immigrants
• Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, responsible for enforcing immigration and customs law at ports of entry
• Internal Security Department, a quasi-police/intelligence agency responsible for domestic security
• Singapore Customs
• Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command, responsible for law enforcement in the armed forces (a military provost

Singapore also utilises the services of several auxiliary police forces; private companies authorised by law to carry out certain police-style functions, such as airport security and cash-in-transit protection:

• Aetos Security Management, formed by a merger of three government security police forces
• Certis CISCO, formed from a branch of the Singapore Police Force
• SATS Security Services