Police Coast Guard

Booth of the Police Coast Guard at the Police Carnival 2006 showing its logo with a PC boat in the background.

The Police Coast Guard (Abbreviation: PCG; Chinese: 警察海岸卫队; Malay: Polis Pengawal Pantai) is the Marine Police division of the Singapore Police Force which also takes on roles of the coast guard typically handled by the military or as separate organisations in other countries. These include the enforcement of law and order in Singapore's territorial waters, and Search and Rescue operations in collaboration with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Currently headquartered in Brani Regional Base at 11 Brani Way on Pulau Brani, Singapore, it traces a history of about 170 years.

History

Police Coast Guard officer at the Police Week Carnival 2002, donning the old PCG uniform which was phased out in mid-2006.

Given Singapore's standing as a trading port since its founding in 1819, problems of piracy has accompanied its early maritime history until the 1840s when Temmenggong Daeng Ibrahim and his son, Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor, openly supported the British efforts to fight piracy. In 1866, the police's maritime operations were formally established with the building of a floating police station. Dedicated police patrol boats began patrolling the waters around the colony.

In 1916, the Marine Branch was set up, before being established as a separate unit in 1924 and renamed as the Marine Police. The new unit built its first headquarters near Cavenagh Bridge along the Singapore River, and had a fleet of about 26 boats and 238 officers. During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, all vessels of the Marine Police were confiscated by the Japanese forces. After the war, the Marine Police saw rapid growth with the establishment of sub-bases at Tanjong Kling, Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong by 1951. In 1952, the fleet was boosted to 68 as a result of a reorganisation of the Police Force, and rose to 70 during the Konfrontasi with Indonesia in the 1960s in light of the increased operational needs.

With the attainment of independence for Singapore in 1965, the unit was upgraded in light of increased responsibilities for the new nation. It relocated its headquarters to the new Kallang Regional Base at Kallang Basin in 1970, and became known as the Marine Division.

The Marine Division underwent a major restructuring and was renamed as the Police Coast Guard on 13 February 1993, given its expanded roles in marine security responsibilies and capabilities, including preventing the intrusion of illegal migrants and foreign government vessels, and the guarding of the Horsburgh Lighthouse on the disputed island of Pedra Branca in the Singapore Straits. The PCG officiated the reorganisation of its operations into three squadrons, namely the Interceptor Squadron, the Port Squadron and the Coastal Patrol Squadron on 7 May 1993 and launched the Special Task Squadron (STS) on 22 January 1997.

On 20 March 2006, it relocated its headquarters to its current location at Brani Regional Base, due to the planned damming of the Marina Bay and Kallang Basin. The new Police Coast Guard headquarters at Pulau Brani was officially opened on 8 February 2007 by the Minister for Home Affairs, DPM Wong Kan Seng

Incidents and accidents

Main article: List of Singapore police officers killed in the line of duty

• On 6 December 1984, Police boat PX-5 left its base in Jurong for routine patrol. En-route, SC Abdul Rashid Bin Mohammed Said shot SGT Chin Ah Kow in the head and threw his body overboard. PC Wahid Bin Ahmad and PC Shamsudin Bin Haji Ali were forced off the boat, and subsequently found near Pulau Senang, by which time PC Wahid had drowned and PC Shamsudin the sole survivor. SGT Chin's body was never found.
• On 28 December 1999, petrol bombs hailed from an escaping speedboat hit a police boat off Sembawang, although no one was hurt. The speedboat was attempting to smuggle in illegal migrants, and was later captured by the police.
• On 3 January 2003, six officers led by DSP1 Tan Wee Wah Stephen aboard PH50 (Hammerhead Shark) assisted in the rescue of crew on the striken Republic of Singapore Navy ship RSS Courageous after a collision with a merchant ship, ANL Indonesia. All the officers were subsequently awarded with the Pingat Keberanian Polis.
• On 11 September 2004, a collision between a PCG boat and a cabin cruiser out on a fishing trip resulted in the death of a 47-year-old Prisons officer. His partner and colleague was rescued.
• In March 2006, A PCG craft PT34 rammed into an outrigger canoe with six crew members from the Singapore Paddle Club, resulting in injuries to three canoe crew members.
• On 13 April 2007, two Interceptor Crafts of the Special Task Squadron were on ambush duty off Tuas in the vicinity of Tuas Jetty, when a speedboat with six illegal immigrants and cartons of cigarettes intruded into Singapore's territorial waters at about 9.30 PM. The speedboat sped off when approached by the police, resulting in a five-minute chase which ended with a collision between one of the crafts and the speedboat near Pulau Merambong. PK 50 capsized, while the speedboat was completely wreaked. Two officers were rescued from the scene within minutes with minor injuries, while SI Mohd Khalid Bin Muhamad, 41, and SSGT Heah Khim Han, 29, who were trapped in the steering compartment, were missing. Their bodies were found on 14 April 2007 at about 8.15 AM. Three passengers on the intruding vessels were also rescued, and a fourth man found dead. The rest of the passengers were still missing. The two officers were the first casualties for the STS and the PCG since the later's evolution from the Marine Division in 1993. It was also the first instance where a police boat has capsized and the first police fatalities as a result of a high speed chase. Both officers were posthumously promotion to the rank of Senior Station Inspector and Senior Staff Sergeant respectively.

Mission and vision

The PCG has a Mission and Vision as follows:

Mission

Our Mission is to ensure coastal security and maintain law and order within Singapore Territorial Waters (STW).

Vision

Our Vision is to become a world class maritime policing agency dedicated to providing quality service and achieving high standards of professionalism and operational excellence. We will be a caring, progressive and cohesive organisation. We help build Singapore into our best home by preserving the security and integrity of our territorial waters.

Organisation

The Police Coast Guard Pulau Ubin Base.

The Police Coast Guard is currently headed by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Teo Kian Teck. It operates from four regional bases around the island, namely the Brani Regional Base in the South, Gul Regional Base in the West, Lim Chu Kang Regional Base in the North, and Loyang Regional Base in the East. It also maintains a police post on Pulau Ubin. Each of these regional bases are organised similarly to the Neighbourhood Police Centres of the land divisions, and conduct patrols within their respective maritime sectors.

The fleet is organised into three main squadrons. The Interceptor Squadron consists of PC-class high-speed patrol craft able to control the movement of illegal immigrants along the Straits of Johor. The Port Squadron is made up of the newer generation PT-class boats (and previously the PX-class) with the primary task of ensuring the security of the Port of Singapore by responding to incidents and to project police presence. The third squadron, the Coastal Patrol Squadron, operates the PH-class Coastal Patrol Crafts to secure the sea passages in Singapore waters and ensure safe passage for legitimate users.

The PCG also has an elite unit known as the Special Task Squadron (STS), activated to conduct high-risk operations where speed and firepower are deemed necessary. They were instrumental in the capture of one of the three armed robbers who infiltrated into Singapore on Pulau Tekong in March 2004.

Operations

Police Coast Guard officers also conduct land patrols on Singapore's islands, such as these officers on Pulau Ubin.

The Police Coast Guard conducts round-the-clock patrols in Singapore's territorial waters from its four regional bases, in an area of more than 200 square nautical miles (700 km²). It is also responsible for maintaining law and order on most of Singapore's islands, except those which are directly accessible by road from the main island, such as Jurong Island, Sentosa and Pulau Brani.

While piracy was the main source of concern leading to the establishment of the Marine Police, it has become almost a non-issue today with no cases of piracy in Singapore's territorial waters in the last decade. Crimes in the offshore islands or in the waters are also markedly low.

Maritime border control

The control of illegal migrants entering Singapore's waters has become one of the most visible roles of the PCG, however, aided in part by constant media reports on such arrests. On 17 August 2006, its arrest of 22 illegal migrants in four separate incidents was touted as the largest number arrested by the PCG in a day by the media. While the number of intrusions has been drastically reduced in recent years with the acquisition of radar and other sophisticated night-vision equipment, the attraction of Singapore as a migrant destination continues to pose a constant operational challenge to the PCG.

Fiscal Year	Illegal immigrants arrested	Source
2002	49
2003	133
2004	171
2005	158
2006	234

In a further bid to twart illegal immigrants, the PCG erected physical barriers in the form af high fencing along critical areas of the shoreline where intrusions are common, including Lim Chu Kang, Pulau Punggol Barat, Pulau Ubin and the Western Live Firing Area. By the end of December 2003, the total length of fencing has reached 24.7 kilometres, although there were some protests over the potential environmental hazards the fencing my pose to natural amphibious species, particularly on Pulau Ubin. The PCG attempted to allay these fears by informing that the fencing are constructed to allow small animals to pass below them.

Terrorism

The heightened security alert after the September 11, 2001 attacks attacks necessitated additional attention paid to preventing possible terrorism attacks by sea, a possibility underscored during the revelation of the Singapore embassies attack plot by the Jemaah Islamiyah in December 2001, where it was revealed that the Changi Naval Base was the subject of surveillance. There were also possible plans to bomb American navy ships using the narrow channel between Pulau Tekong and Changi in the northeast of Singapore. In response to these threats, the PCG stepped up routine checks on vessels in Singapore's territorial waters, in particular that of passenger ferries returning from regional destinations. Since late 2004, Officers were given additional training in the areas of boarding vessels for this purpose, and equipped with skills in the detection of explosives, drugs and fraudulent documents.

Coastal Security Force

The Police Coast Guard would be providing manpower to a new setup called the Coastal Security Force. The Coastal Security Force is a unit under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore that would be responsible for the safeguarding of non-gazetted landing points which falls under the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code or (ISPS).

Manpower

The Police Coast Guard has a strength of over 1,000, one of the largest amongst the operational units in the Singapore Police Force. It has traditionally drawn its manpower from a common pool of officers as is the case with land divisions and most other line units. The majority were posted to the unit immediately after basic police training, while the rest were transferred from other divisions or units. In recent years, it offered an option for aspiring regular officers to apply directly to join the unit, thus needing only to attend common courses at the Home Team Academy before receiving specialised marine training for immediate posting within the unit upon graduation.

Due to the specialised nature of the job, officers with the PCG are less likely to transfer to other operational units. Senior Officers in the PCG are, however, usually posted there as part of their cyclical rotation amongst staff and line units after their mandatory initial posting as Investigation Officers, typically for a short stint of about two to five years. The unit's manpower is supplemented by national servicemen, as well as officers from the Volunteer Special Constabulary.

Uniforms

New uniforms of the Police Coast Guard on display at the Police Carnival 2006.

The evolution of uniforms worn by the Police Coast Guard largely mirrors that for the land-based divisions, with its earliest uniforms reflecting British heritage and influence. Early uniforms are based on that of navy sailors, consisting of an all-white attire of long-sleeved shirts and shorts. Officers wore the same Khaki-based uniforms which were introduced in the land divisions from 1890, before switching to the dacron blue uniform in 1969 along with the rest of the police force.

When the Marine Police was reorganised and renamed as the Police Coast Guard in 1993, the uniform was also changed to the Combat (or No. 4) Uniform. This uniform consisted of a long-sleeved shirt and long pants made of a slightly tougher polyester, and does away with almost all metal parts via the use of velcro and plastic buttons. They don a blue beret, but are permitted to wear a baseball cap while on operational duties. Footwear is in the form of lace-up leather shoes with non-slip soles. Unlike the Combat Uniform worn by other units in the police force, the uniform adopted hidden plastic buttons to avoid entanglements, and does away with gutters since shoes, and not boots, are worn to allow rapid removal should water entry be required.

In May 2005, the island Patrol Uniform was introduced, consisting of a helmet, dark blue polo top and Bermudas for officers performing bicycle patrol duties on Pulau Ubin. These were introduced to project a softer image on the island where recreational activities abound, and to provide greater comfort for the officers in the humid outdoor weather.

As part of a force-wide review of the police uniforms, the PCG adopted the new combat uniform similar to that currently worn by the Special Operations Command, albeit with a darker shade of blue. While they were introduced to overcome existing limitations of the current uniform, such as allowing for less-hindrance in body movement due to the more relaxed fit, and its non-flammable properties, they met with opposition from some officers who feel it projects the wrong image to the general public, including its "technician" look. Officers began to don the new combat uniform from 21 August 2006.

Firearms and equipment

Officers of the PCG are equipped with the Taurus Model 85, similar to their counterparts in land divisions, as their primary side weapon. The Glock 19 pistol is also issued to Special Task Squadron officers. Other weapons such as the Heckler & Koch MP5, the M16 rifle are also stowed aboard each patrol craft, with the pump action shotgun as an additional weapon for the Special Task Squadron. Mounted on the boats themselves, are weapons such as the General Purpose Machine Gun, the Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and/or the Browning Machine Gun, depending on the type of craft.

Current fleet

There are currently eight types of boats utilised by the PCG, namely the Command Boat, the Coastal Patrol Craft (CPC), three types of PT boats, the new PC class Patrol Craft, the PK class Interceptor Craft for the Special Task Squadron, and the PJ Class inflatable boats for localised patrols, particularly up smaller rivers and canals.

Command Boat (PT Class)

The two Command Boats in operation are slightly larger versions of the regular Patrol Craft, and built by Asia-Pacific Geraldton in 1998.

Ships	Manta Ray (PT20) Eagle Ray (PT30)
Length	20 metres
Beam	6.3 metres
Draft	1 metre
Speed	30 knots (60 km/h)
Weapons	2x General Purpose Machine Guns

Coastal Patrol Craft (PH Class)

The PCG operates a fleet of 12 Coastal Patrol Crafts (CPC) for securing Singapore's territorial waters, including the waters surrounding the Horsburgh Lighthouse. The craft were upgraded and handed over by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), with the first four officially handed over on 7 May 1993 another four on 3 June 1994, and the last four on 22 January 1997. The CPCs were built between 1979 and 1980, but continued service for over two decades while a proper replacement was being sourced. In 2006, the PCG signed a contract with Damen Shipyard to build 10 specially-designed boats to replace its aging Coastal Patrol Craft and the first boat will be operational by 2008

Ships	Hammerhead Shark (PH50) Mako Shark (PH51) White Shark (PH52) Blue Shark (PH53) Tiger Shark (PH54) Basking Shark (PH55) Sandbar Shark (PH56) Thresher Shark (PH57) Whitetip Shark (PH58) Blacktip Shark (PH59) Goblin Shark (PH60) School Shark (PH61)
Displacement	45.7 tonnes
Length	22.7 metres
Beam	6.2 metres
Draft	1.6 metres
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h)
Weapons	Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, 2 x 0.5" Browning Machine Gun
Small Arms	Carbine, HK5 & Pistol.

Patrol Craft (1st Generation, PT Class)

The oldest generation of Patrol Craft in PCG service (as of December 2007) were built in 1984.

Ships	Amberjack (PT1) Gul PT2 PT3 PT4 PT5 PT6 Leatherjacket (PT7) Gul PT8 Oscar (PT9) Gul PT10 Piranha (PT11) Gul PT12 Hardyhead (PT13) Gul
Displacement	20 tonnes
Length	14.54 metres
Beam	4.23 metres
Draft	1.2 metres
Speed	30 knots (60 km/h)
Weapons	General Purpose Machine Gun

Patrol Craft (2nd Generation, PT Class)

The second generation of Patrol Craft were built between 1987 and 1989, including the two Command Boats. Another four boats are operated by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

Ships	PT14 Todak (PT15) Gul PT16 PT17 Thread Fin (PT18) Dorado (PT19) Gul
Length	14.8 metres
Beam	4.23 metres
Draft	1.2 metres
Speed	30 knots (60 km/h)
Weapons	General Purpose Machine Gun

Patrol Craft (3rd Generation, PT Class)

The third generation of Patrol Craft were introduced in 1998, with 18 built in 1999 and another seven in 2000. They are the Stingray 18WJ Class manufactured by Strategic Marine. At a top speed of 40 knots (74 km/h), they were 10 knots (19 km/h) faster than the older PT class boats in the PCG when they were officially launched on 29 January 2000

Ships	Angler Ray (PT21) Gul PT22 Bull Ray (PT23) Gul Butterfly Ray (PT24) PT25 PT26 Electric Ray (PT27) Gul PT28 PT29 Giant Reef Ray (PT31) Gul PT32 Roughtail Ray (PT33) Gul PT34 Shovelnose Ray (PT35) Gul PT36 PT37 Thornback Ray (PT38) Torpedo Ray (PT39) Gul PT61 PT62 PT63 PT64 Flower Ray (PT65) PT66 PT67	A third generation Patrol Craft, Flower Ray (PT65), conducting a sea-rescue demonstration.
Length	18 metres
Beam	5.4 metres
Draft	0.9 metres
Speed	40 knots (70 km/h)
Weapons	2X General Purpose Machine Gun

New Generation Patrol Craft (PC Class)

The New Generation Patrol Craft, also known as the Fast Response Craft, were delivered from the year 2002. There are currently 32 in active service.

Ships	PC201 PC202 Loyang Region PC203 PC204 Loyang Region PC205 PC206 Loyang Region PC207 PC208 Loyang Region PC209 PC210 Loyang Region PC211 PC212 Loyang Region PC213 PC214 Loyang Region PC215 PC216 Loyang Region PC217 PC218 Loyang Region PC219 PC220 Loyang Region PC221 PC222 Loyang Region PC223 PC224 Loyang Region PC225 PC226 Loyang Region PC227 PC228 Loyang Region PC229 PC230 loyang Region PC231 PC232 Loyang Region
Length	11.5 metres
Beam	3.4 metres
Draft	0.5 metres
Speed	40 knots (70 km/h)

Interceptor Craft (PK Class)

There are two generations of Interceptor Craft in service, with the first delivered in 1995. The second generation of six boats with a different colour scheme and modified design was introduced in 1999 and officially launched on 29 January 2000.

Ships	Sailfish (PK10) Spearfish (PK20) White Marlin (PK 21) Silver Marlin (PK 22) Striped Marlin (PK 23) Black Marlin (PK 24) Blue Marlin (PK 25) Jumping Marlin (PK 26) Billfish (PK30) Swordfish (PK40) Spikefish (PK50)	An Interceptor Craft, Spikefish (PK50), from the Special Task Squadron demonstrating its capabilities during a maritime exercise mockup display as part of the National Day Parade, 2005 celebrations.
Length	12 metres
Beam	3.6 metres
Draft	0.8 metres
Speed	50 knots (90 km/h)
Weapons	General Purpose Machine Gun

Rigid-hulled Inflatable Boats ( PJ Class)

The PJ Class of rigid-hulled inflatable boats suitable for cruising uprivers and large drains and introduced in 1997.

Ships	PJ1 PJ2 PJ3 PJ4
Length	6.0 metres
Beam	2.5 metres
Draft	0.8 metres
Speed	40 knots (70 km/h)

Other

There are several other types of fast craft boats playing a supportive role.The following is a list of 2nd generation PK class vessels. They have been renumbered and are put into normal patrol operations.

Ships

White Marlin (PC121) Silver Marlin (PC122) Striped Marlin (PC123) Black Marlin (PC124) Blue Marlin (PC125) Jumping Marlin (PC126)

Collaborations

The PCG has engaged in joint operations with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) since the 1990s, as well as with foreign agencies. Alliances were forged with the Royal Malaysian Marine Police and the TNI-AL (Indonesian Navy). It is involved in the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) programme with the United States Coast Guard, the RSN, and five other Southeast Asian countries. In 2001, it was involved in a joint anti-illegal migrant operation with the Japan Coast Guard in Kanazawa. The PCG also has collaborations with the Republic of Korea Coast Guard and makes regular contacts with the Hong Kong Police Force's Marine Region through a reciprocal attachment programme.

The PCG has collaborated with the National Police Cadet Corps to establish sea units in secondary schools. The first two units were set up in Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Springfield Secondary School in 2002, with the PCG's pool of reservists and Volunteer Special Constabulary officers providing training for the cadets. The first all-girls sea unit was set up in Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) in 2006. The PCG also supports the Special Tactics and Rescue Unit’s maritime assault capability, which was launched on 2 February 2005.

References

General

• "Policing Singapore in the 19th & 20th centuries", Peer M. Akbur, Singapore Police Force, 2002 ISBN 981-04-7024-X
• English News - Five more illegals caught at sea trying to enter Singapore, Justyn Olby, Television Corporation of Singapore, 17 March 1998
• English News - Coast Guard steps up fight against illegal immigrants, Justyn Olby, Television Corporation of Singapore, 18 February 1998

External links

• Singapore Police Force, Police Coast Guard