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http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC120225-0000059/Safe-rooms-in-future-Neighbourhood-Police-Posts
'Safe rooms' in future Neighbourhood Police Posts?
by Amir Hussain
09:56 AM Feb 25, 2012
SINGAPORE - Neighbourhood Police Posts (NPPs) in the future may not only be unmanned, but also be equipped with a safe room which allows, say, a youth to flee from a gang attack by hiding in the room.
In the finals of a tertiary competition held yesterday, students were asked to pitch concepts on, among other things, how the safe rooms should function.
But a police spokesperson clarified that, "while a 'safe room' is one of the ideas that has come up, this does not mean it will be implemented".
She added: "The competition was open to the students to explore various possibilities."
Second Minister for Home Affairs S Iswaran, who was the guest-of-honour at the event, pointed to technological developments as a reason for the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to re-examine how NPPs can better serve the community.
Said Mr Iswaran: "Residents could have round-the-clock access to automated services at the NPPs. Police officers could be redeployed from desk-bound duties to patrol the streets, interact with residents or respond to emergencies."
Another reason is changing demographics - NPPs of the future will be elderly- and disabled-friendly, added Mr Iswaran.
This is the first time since NPPs were initiated in the 1980s that the SPF has launched a contest to design them.
The SPF said that it is still open to feedback from the public on designs, to ensure that NPPs stay relevant to the community.
Yesterday, two teams from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) emerged joint winners of the competition out of 15 teams. They received prizes of a trophy and S$5,000 cash per team.
Among the NTU team's proposal is an L-shaped door to prevent an assailant following a user into the safe room, while the SMU team proposed that NPPs have transformable spaces to host seminars, exhibitions and movie screenings.
The two winning teams will be working with the SPF to build prototypes, which will be put on display at the Police Workplan Seminar later this year. Feedback on the prototypes will then be gathered from the public, to be incorporated into NPP design trials.
'Safe rooms' in future Neighbourhood Police Posts?
by Amir Hussain
09:56 AM Feb 25, 2012
SINGAPORE - Neighbourhood Police Posts (NPPs) in the future may not only be unmanned, but also be equipped with a safe room which allows, say, a youth to flee from a gang attack by hiding in the room.
In the finals of a tertiary competition held yesterday, students were asked to pitch concepts on, among other things, how the safe rooms should function.
But a police spokesperson clarified that, "while a 'safe room' is one of the ideas that has come up, this does not mean it will be implemented".
She added: "The competition was open to the students to explore various possibilities."
Second Minister for Home Affairs S Iswaran, who was the guest-of-honour at the event, pointed to technological developments as a reason for the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to re-examine how NPPs can better serve the community.
Said Mr Iswaran: "Residents could have round-the-clock access to automated services at the NPPs. Police officers could be redeployed from desk-bound duties to patrol the streets, interact with residents or respond to emergencies."
Another reason is changing demographics - NPPs of the future will be elderly- and disabled-friendly, added Mr Iswaran.
This is the first time since NPPs were initiated in the 1980s that the SPF has launched a contest to design them.
The SPF said that it is still open to feedback from the public on designs, to ensure that NPPs stay relevant to the community.
Yesterday, two teams from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) emerged joint winners of the competition out of 15 teams. They received prizes of a trophy and S$5,000 cash per team.
Among the NTU team's proposal is an L-shaped door to prevent an assailant following a user into the safe room, while the SMU team proposed that NPPs have transformable spaces to host seminars, exhibitions and movie screenings.
The two winning teams will be working with the SPF to build prototypes, which will be put on display at the Police Workplan Seminar later this year. Feedback on the prototypes will then be gathered from the public, to be incorporated into NPP design trials.
