Crime Prevention Course
For SJAB
1
Scope
 Common Crimes and Crime Prevention measures
 Basic Observation skills
 Reporting A Case
 E-Information
2
Common Offences
Common Offences taking place within the neighbourhood include:
 Housebreaking
 Robbery
 Snatch Theft
 Motor Vehicle Theft
 Outraging of Modesty
 Theft of Bicycle
 Shoptheft
 Scams
 Unlicensed Moneylending
3
Housebreaking
How it can happen:

Forcing open windows, grille gates or
doors.

Gaining entry through unsecured doors,
windows and other openings.

Cutting padlocks, iron grilles or wire
mesh.
4
Housebreaking
Preventive Measures:

Ensure all doors, windows and other openings are secured with good quality
metal grilles and padlocks.

Ensure all doors and windows are secured before retiring to bed, and when
leaving home unattended even for short while.

Keep large sums of cash in banks and expensive jewellery in a safe deposit box.

Install a burglar alarm, sensor light and/or close circuit surveillance camera
(CCTV) system to cover the access points into your premises. Ensure that these
are tested periodically and are in good working condition;

If you are going to be away for a prolonged period, suspend newsletter
distribution and arranged for trusted person such as relatives, to clear your
mailbox and check on your unit.
5
Robbery
How it can happen:
 Victims approached and
surrender their valuables.
threatened
to

Victims being accused of staring or causing
annoyance, before being brought to a secluded
place to be robbed of their valuables.

Using the pretext of asking for road directions,
time, assistance and eventually taking the
opportunity to rob.

Loitering at lift landings or void decks to
ambush the victim while he or she is waiting to
take the lift.
6
Robbery
Preventive Measures:

Be alert to your surroundings. If you feel you are being followed, stay clam. Call
the police and proceed to a nearby area with heavy human traffic.

Be wary of strangers following you or loitering at the lift landing or void decks.

Avoid taking the lift with any suspicious stranger. Arrange for someone to
accompany you when returning home late.

Avoid wearing excessive jewellery or carrying large amounts of cash.

If confronted, surrender your valuables on demand one at a time and try to
remember the physical details and any distinct features of the culprit.
7
Snatch Theft
How it can happen:

Snatching victim’s handbag or jewellery
from behind and making a quick getaway.

Approaching victim to strike a conversation
or seeking assistance before committing
the act.

Culprit riding on a motorcycle, approaching
victim from behind before snatching away
her handbag or jewellery.
8
Snatch Theft
Preventive Measures:

Be alert to your surroundings. If you feel you are being followed,
stay calm. Call the police and proceed to a nearby area with
heavy human traffic.

Carry your handbag in front of you or clasp it firmly under your
arm.

Always walk facing on-coming traffic and hold the handbag on the
side away from the motorists.

Avoid wearing excessive jewellery and carrying large amounts of
cash.
9
Theft from Motor Vehicle
How it can happen:

Smashing the vehicle windows

Using a piece of metal strip or tools to force
open car doors.
10
Theft from Motor Vehicle
Prevention Measures:

Park the vehicle in a well lit area.

Do not leave valuables inside the vehicle.

Install an anti-theft alarm system.

Remove the ignition key when the vehicle is left unattended even
for a short while.
11
Outrage of Modesty
Preventive Measures:
 Never take shorts cut through dimly lit, quiet
and secluded places.
 Do not jog in secluded areas.
 When returning home late at night, arrange for
a family member to wait at bus stop, car park
etc to escort you home.
 Be alert to your surroundings. If you feel you
are being followed, stay calm. Call the police
and proceed to a nearby area with heavy
human traffic.
12
Outrage of Modesty
Preventive Measures:
If you are taking the public transport
Be alert and attentive to your surroundings. When possible, move
away if someone stands or sits exceptionally close to you;
If you are molested, call for help immediately by shouting and
seeking help from people nearby. Call ‘999’ as soon as possible; and
Approach the station manager or contact Police for assistance if you
see any suspicious looking passenger.
13
Bicycle Theft
How it can happen:
 Chain and lock being used to
secure bicycle are of poor
quality
 Bicycle is not secured at all or
key components such as bicycle
frame is not secured
 Bicycle is being parked at nondesignated places.
14
Bicycle Theft
Preventive Measures:
 Keep your bicycle at home when you are not using it;
 Lock your bicycle when left unattended, even if it is only for a short while;
 Secure your bicycle to a permanent structure such as a bicycle rack. All
removable bicycle components should preferably be locked or secured;
 Use a durable lock. You can consider using a U-lock that provides better security
compared to cable locks;
 If you need to park your bicycle at a public place, choose one with high human
traffic and is well-lit, preferably with CCTV monitoring; and
 Make unique permanent identification marks such as engravings or affix the
Bicycle Security Label on the frame of your bicycle.
15
Shop Theft
How it can happen:
 Refers to the theft of goods from retail
establishment
 One of the common crime committed by
youth
 Most shoplifters are opportunist but there
are syndicates targeting major retailers for
systematic theft
 Shoplifting can also include price switching
(swapping the price labels of different
goods).
16
Shop Theft
Preventive Measures For Retailers:
 Be alert to customers who ask excessive and irrelevant questions. This could be a diversion to
distract the staff while the accomplices commit the theft;
 Install adequate CCTVs in good working condition at the entrance/exit of the store and monitor the
crowds for suspicious characters;
 Adopt "double tagging" for high value merchandise (use of overt and covert tags) and incorporate
metal detection functions into the existing EAS system;
 Display expensive items in locked showcases and install convex mirrors to cover blind corners;
 Staff should be familiar with the price of expensive products to detect culprits switching price tags;
and
 Consider establishing a shop theft prevention policy to provide guidance to employees on the
standard procedures in dealing with shop theft. It also helps maintain consistency in how the staff
deal with and detect possible thieves.
17
Lottery Phone Scam
How it can happen:
 Culprit would make unsolicited calls or SMS
to handphones, claiming that the recipients
have won prize money in an overseas lottery.
 Recipients would be asked to pay a tax or
other forms of administrative payments to
secure the release of the “prize money”.
18
Lottery Phone Scam
Preventive Measures:
 Call police immediately at ‘999’ to report the
case.
 Do not make any advance payment to claim
any prize money. Winning a lucky draw or
lottery does not require you to make any
advance payment.
 Ignore such notifications especially when you
did not purchase any ticket or participate in
any such draws.
19
Kidnap Scam
How it can happen:
 Conmen would call the victim and claim that one of
their family members had been kidnapped and demand
that a ransom be paid.
 Instruct the victim not to put down the line from the
time the call was received, until the ‘ransom money’
had been transferred, if not the ‘hostage’ would be
hurt.
 Instruct victims to proceed to remittance centres or use
other money transfer services to pay the ‘ransom’. After
the transfer has been made, victims would be told to
proceed to another location to wait or to pick-up the
‘hostage’ while the conmen checks the money.
20
Kidnap Scam
Preventive Measures:
 Call police immediately at ‘999’ to report
the case.
 Remain calm and contact your loved-one
immediately to confirm his or her safety.
 Do not transfer any money via remittance
agencies, banks or any other means to
the caller.
21
MULTIPLE PAYMENT ONLINE
PURCHASE SCAM
How it can happen:
 Scammers entice victims to make online purcahses
of handphones or tablets advertised at very low
prices.
 Once victim makes payment for the order, scammer
will ask for more citing the following:
•Retrieve items which were wrongly delivered to
another country
•Pay customs fees
•Pay administrative fees to solve courier or shipment
problems
 Items purchased were never delivered.
22
MULTIPLE PAYMENT ONLINE
PURCHASE SCAM
Preventive Measures:
 Do business with those you know and trust.
 Understand the offer.
 Never give your bank account numbers, credit card numbers and
personal information.
 Check out the track record of the company/seller.
 Do not easily trust the identities claimed by online sellers.
 Do not help others you have met online to make funds transfers.
23
Unlicensed Moneylending
What is loansharking?
 Loansharks = Unlicensed Moneylenders
 Giving out loans when not licensed to do so.
All moneylenders in Singapore must be
licensed by the Registry of Moneylenders.
 It is illegal to give out loans if the person is
not a licensed moneylender
 Loansharks charge high interest rates, some
as much as 20% or even to repaid within 6
weeks!
24
Unlicensed Moneylending
Harassment acts by loansharks:
 Phone calls and ‘House visits’
 Painting the walls with O$P$
 Setting fire to threaten the debtor
 Sending Hell Notes
25
Unlicensed Moneylending
Alert Police immediately should you see anyone:
 Loitering suspiciously at lift lobbies, common corridors, staircase or
carparks.
 Hands/clothes stained with paint.
 Carrying plastic bags or backpacks containing cans / packet of paint,
markers, super glue or chains.
 Constantly referring to handphone, slips of paper or notebooks.
 Nervous, speaking softly and always looking around.
26
Unlicensed Moneylending
Prevention measures which will aid in the
police investigation:
 Avoid handling or removing the debtor
notes from their original positions.
 Do not clear away the disposed items left
behind by the runners.
 Prevent others from tampering with the
items.
27
Unlicensed Moneylending
 If you have any information about illegal moneylenders, call the X Ah
Long Hotline by NCPC:
1-800-X-AH-LONG
1-800-9-24-5664
 You do not need to leave your name and /or contact details when
you call this hotline.
 All calls to the hotline will be treated with strict confidentiality.
 Hotline Operating Hours: 9am – 1pm, 2pm – 5pm
Mondays to Fridays (excluding Public Holidays).
28
Basic Observation
Take note of the descriptions of the culprit
Important:
Appearance &
physical
attributes
Type and Colour
of clothing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Type and Colour
of footwear
6.
7.
Race –
Chinese, Malay, Indian or etc
Complexion –
Fair, tanned, dark
Build and height–
Small, medium, thin, plump,
muscular
Hair –
Curly, short, long, dyed
(colour)
Attire –
Colour, type (t-shirt, overall,
sleeveless or etc) and
prominent logos / brand if any
Distinctive descriptions –
Tattoos, spectacles, scars if any
Items carried –
Sling bag, waist-pouch if any
29
Basic Observation
What you can do to assist the Police:
Keep a lookout for any suspicious person(s) loitering around your
neighbourhood. Call the Police Emergency Hotline at 999 to report
the matter.

If you witness any crime in progress;
i. Remain calm
ii. Do not approach / confront the culprit
iii. Call the Police at 999
iv. Take note of the description of the culprit
v. Take note of the direction which the culprit fled and his
mode of escape
30
Reporting a Case
How do you inform the Police?
Example as to how to replay the information to the Police:
WHO – “I’m Mr Lim, a COP member from XXX RC Zone
WHAT – We are currently conducting COP patrol
WHERE – at carpark of Blk 332 Clementi Ave 5
WHY – we spotted a male subject looking into vehicles
HOW – He is about 1.7m tall, slim built and with a “snake” tattoo on his right forearm.
He is holding a blue umbrella. I can be contacted at 91234567.
31
E-Information
Members of Public may obtain updated information through:
•
SPF’s SMS Community Alert
•
Police@SG Application
•
SPF Facebook Page
•
SPF Internet Website (www.spf.gov.sg)
32