Image source: MHA
The Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced new laws to improve how the SPF can respond to terror threats and incidents.
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Ministry of Home Affairs Press Release
27 Feb 2018 : Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Bill 2018
Enable Police to protect the secrecy of tactical operations
The Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Bill was introduced
for First Reading in Parliament today. The Bill is part of the Ministry
of Home Affairs' (MHA) ongoing efforts to combat the threat of
terrorism.
Updating
of Existing Special Powers Legislation to Enable Police to Respond
Effectively to Serious Incidents such as Terrorist Attacks
2.
Singapore continues to face a clear and present security threat, posed
by home-grown radicalised individuals and foreign terrorists who view
Singapore as a prized target. Attacks around the world have shown that
the terrorists are continuously evolving their methods to inflict
maximum casualties and deaths. It is therefore important to equip the
Police with powers to be able to respond swiftly and effectively to
attacks of any scale and of varying tactics.
3.
Over the last two years, MHA has significantly enhanced our ability to
respond to the terrorism threat. The Public Order Act was amended and
the Infrastructure Protection Act was enacted to enhance the security of
large events and critical buildings respectively. The Police have also
developed new capabilities for rapid and effective response to terrorist
incidents.
4. As
part of these continuing efforts to combat terrorism, MHA is introducing
the Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Bill, to provide the
Police with the powers necessary to deal with serious public order and
safety incidents, including terrorist attacks. The Bill updates the
existing Public Order (Preservation) Act (POPA), which was enacted in
1958 to provide special powers to deal with large-scale communal riots.
As part of the Bill, POPA will be repealed.
Key Provisions of the Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Bill
5. The Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Bill will:
- Enable the use of special powers for serious incidents affecting public safety;
- Enable the Police to protect the secrecy of tactical operations; and
- Enable the Police to respond to serious incidents more effectively.
Enable the use of special powers for serious incidents affecting public safety
6.
The special powers in the Bill are not available to the Police for
routine operations. The Minister for Home Affairs must first issue an
order to authorise the use of the powers in the Bill. To do so, the
Minister must be of the opinion that (i) a serious incident has occurred
or is occurring in Singapore, or there is a threat of such a serious
incident occurring, and (ii) that the special powers are necessary to
prevent the occurrence of the incident, reduce its impact, or control,
restore or maintain public order.
7.
The existing POPA provides special powers to deal with large-scale
public disorder, such as communal riots. However, they cannot be used in
situations which seriously threaten public safety but there is no
large-scale public disorder. For example, in the immediate aftermath of a
terrorist attack when the pursuit of the terrorists is underway, but
there is no large-scale public disorder. The Bill provides for special
powers to be used in such serious incidents where public safety is
threatened, and also where there is serious violence affecting the
public.
8.
Denying the terrorists access to information on Police's ongoing
tactical operations to neutralise the attack, is critical for the
success of the operations. Leakage of such information to the terrorists
could endanger the lives of security officers and members of the public
who are caught in the attack.
9.
During the Mumbai attacks in 2008, live media broadcast of security
forces preparing to storm the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel allowed the gunmen
within to anticipate the actions of the security forces. In the January
2015 attack on the Hyper Cacher Deli in Paris, the terrorist who was
holding several hostages in the deli was able to watch live television
broadcasts showing Police officers outside preparing to storm the deli.
In both incidents, there is no doubt that the information available to
the terrorists made the Police operation more difficult, reduced the
chances of a successful operation, and put the safety of the officers
and hostages at greater risk.
10.
The Bill therefore proposes that after the Minister has issued an order
to authorise the use of the powers in the Bill, the Commissioner of
Police be empowered to make a communications stop order to require all
persons in the incident area to stop making or communicating films or
pictures of the incident area, and stop communicating text or audio
messages about the ongoing security operations in the incident area.
This is a special power which would only be used when the security
situation calls for it.
11.
The Bill also provides the Police with powers to take down or disable
any unmanned aircraft and autonomous vehicles and vessels in and around
the incident area, regardless of their intention and activity. Such
unmanned aircraft and autonomous vehicles and vessels can be used for
surveillance by the terrorists or even as weapons. Currently, the Police
only has powers to take down unmanned aircraft and autonomous vehicles
and vessels which are clearly posing a threat to public safety and
security.
Enable Police to respond to serious incidents more effectively
12.
The Bill will incorporate and update several special powers already
available in POPA. In addition, the Bill introduces new provisions
needed for today's operational context.
13.
The Bill will enable the Police to direct owners of buildings within
the incident area to take certain actions, such as closing their
premises, restricting entry and exit, or to provide the Police with
information about their buildings like floor plans. These directions
will help the Police to manage the safety of the public in the incident
area, and facilitate security operations.
14.
The Bill will also provide the Police with enhanced powers to stop and
question individuals within the incident area in order to obtain
information. Such powers are needed, for example, when the Police is
conducting a manhunt. When these special powers are exercised, it is an
offence for individuals to refuse to provide information to the Police.
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
Read more here:
Straits Times: Parliament: 3 proposals in Bill to give police special powers to deal with terror attacks
Channel NewsAsia: MHA tables Bill to expand Singapore police powers to better deal with terror attacks
