CISCO Security
Encyclopedia
Certis CISCO Security Private Limited , formerly CISCO Security Private Limited, is one of the five commercial Auxiliary Police
forces authorized to provide armed security officers to government organizations as well as private companies or individuals in Singapore
. It has its roots as a department of the Singapore Police Force
(SPF), which branched out as the Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation , a statutory board with a monopoly over most areas of the local private armed security industry.
From 1 June 2005, the statutory board was dissolved and Cisco Security Pte Ltd was formed upon its corporatisation as a fully owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings
, and inaugurated on 5 July 2005. The abbreviation of the former statutory board, "CISCO", was retained due to its reputation in the local market. The company was renamed as Certis CISCO Security Pte Ltd in 13 September 2007.
As the oldest Auxiliary Police Force with a monopoly over most of the private armed security sector in Singapore for 33 years, CISCO continues to leverage its relatively strong track record compared to its less-established competitors in the liberalised security sector. It maintains a visible presence in many key establishments, including the private residences of VVIPs. They were deployed in major events such as the Singapore 2006
IMF Meetings, the New Year Countdown at Marina Bay in 2007 and 2008, the Chingay Parade
and the Thaipusam
processions. They also continue to dominate some services such as the transportation of valuables, most visibly in the form of delivering cash to automated teller machine
s.
, in a bid to relieve manpower constraints on the SPF by empowering the new statutory board with the ability to conduct its own recruitment schemes tailored specifically for armed security services.
At its dissolution, the Guard and Escort Unit had a strength of 1,600 police officers, who received the same training as their counterparts in police divisions, and are mostly deployed as guards in commercial banks. The new statutory board absorbed most of these regular officers, although the committee recommended the early retirement of 460 older officers, with an enhanced pension scheme offered to them as compensation. A recruitment drive was also initiated on 1 April to recruit other police officers and boost its strength to 2,000.
CISCO, as a separate statutory board, became Singapore's only commercial entity offering armed security services. Its policemen continue to receive training via a 7-week residential training course at the CISCO Police Training School, which is adjacent to the Police Academy at Thomson Road
, with training assistance from the Academy. Over time, the course was streamlined to fit their specific operation needs, and instruction was gradually taken over by fellow CISCO officers. CISCO police officers were dressed largely similar to their counterparts in the Singapore Police Force
, and CISCO vehicles were also largely similar, except with the addition of a CISCO logo. CISCO officers were paid a salary of about S$650 in the 1970s.
CISCO officially opened its new Headquarters building at Jalan Affifi off Upper Paya Lebar Road on 20 June 1986, which then boasted some of the most modern facilities including the first computerised indoor shooting range in Singapore. On 2 March 1994, work commenced to extend the CISCO Headquarters building to incorporate facilities to process and store high-value items and a computer disaster recovery centre. The SCORE
Counselling Centre was opened in the building on 5 December 1996.
CISCO entered into a joint venture with Brambles Industries Ltd from Australia in May 1996 with a 51% stake to form CISCO Recall Total Information Management Pte Ltd as part of its foray into the information management industry. On 8 June 1999, the first purpose-built CISCO Recall Centre was officially opened, which included a 43-metre high document storage facility, the tallest single-storey building in Singapore. A second CISCO Recall Centre was opened in Chin Bee Avenue on 10 September 2003, by which time the company's CISCO Recall service has 33 government agencies amongst its clients.
By 1998, the company has over 2,000 clients which has installed security systems linked to CISCO's alarm monitoring system, an increase of 25% since 1996. This included some 500 private homes which paid between S$2000 to S$1million for such systems. CISCO entered into a joint-venture with the National Library Board
on 21 June 1999 to establish a digital signature
certification authority service.
CISCO manned the Area Licensing Scheme
gantries in 1975 until the introduction of Electronic Road Pricing
in September 1998, where 105 officers were redeployed. CISCO officers began to assist the Traffic Police as traffic wardens to curb illegal parking on 1 November 1999. Over 12,100 parking violation notices were subsequently issued in the next two months, prompting their implementation in more areas to allow the Traffic Police to concentrate on enforcing traffic rules on the move.
During the height of the SARS crisis, CISCO officers were deployed to serve Home Quarantine Orders at the residents homes and install CCTVs at their homes. These were enforced by about 60 officers, who were given the power to electronically tag those who violate the order Their high-risk duty was mentioned for praise during the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
's National Day Rally Speech in 2003
After the September 11, 2001 attacks
, CISCO reported an increase in business as a result of heightened security demands. From November 2004, CISCO officers were deployed to assist in enforcing sensitive locations such as Jurong Island
. CISCO ventured into professional investigation services in 2005.
Forces operated by PSA Corporation, Changi International Airport Services
, Singapore Airport Terminal Services
, and Singapore Technologies Kinetics
, although these officers have their policing powers restricted to their areas of operation. In the wake of rising security concerns, the government decided to introduce greater competition in the armed security service industry.
As a result of measure to create a more level playing field
, the CISCO Act was dissolved, and CISCO ceased being a statutory board, corporatised as a fully government owned company, and coming under the same legislative and regulatory guidelines as the other Auxiliary Police Forces. The new company will not longer utilise the Singapore Police Force's crest, and changes will be made to the uniforms of its police officers, in line with its counterparts in the armed security industry.
To minimise disruptions during the corporatisation process, the Ministry of Home Affairs transferred all of its former statutory board's assets, liabilities, staff and contracts to the new company, and did not give it a moratorium
since the statutory board has already engaged in commercial services. The new company took over all businesses the statutory board had engaged in, and is now liberated to enter or exit from contracts based on its own commercial interests.
On 1 June 2005, the corporatisation process was completed and the new CISCO Security Private Limited formed.
Several officers has also been involved in some high-profile incidents, such as a gun-snatching incident and an attempted bank robbery by a CISCO officer in Bukit Timah
. One Lance Corporal prevented a robbery by firing two rounds at a robber.
As a result of several uniform reviews both by CISCO and the police in subsequent decades, however, it became easier to distinguish CISCO officers. The blue beret
and long-sleeved shirts, phased out in favour of the peaked cap and shirt-sleeved shirts for most normal police officers, was still retained in the CISCO uniform. Similarly, CISCO retained the old metallic cap badges and collar lapels although they were replaced with embroidered versions in the SPF.
When CISCO was corporatised as CISCO Security on 1 June 2005, officers continued to don the old uniforms pending a review of their uniforms. Under governmental direction, the uniform was modified to inject distinguishing features between them and that of those worn by officers of the SPF to foster a more level playing field with other Auxiliary Police Forces in Singapore. From 15 June 2005, all 3,200 uniformed CISCO personal switched to the new uniforms.
The new uniforms saw the adoption of a new corporate colour, steel blue, and the material was changed from pure polyester
to poly viscose
. New buttons and badges on the cap and collars incorporating CISCO's logo were used in place of similar logos to the regular police force. The leather belt was changed from black to brown, as is a band around the peak cap. There is also a horizontal cutting across the chest from one pocket to the other.
While the new uniform was implemented across the company, some officers tasked to perform specific roles were exempt from the change, in particular those involving provision of security for sensitive locations or personnel, such as the Istana, the Supreme Court building and the private residences of VVIPs. Close resemblance of the old CISCO uniform with that of the regular police has allowed the latter to outsource sensitive roles, yet providing a visual impression of continued police presence. This practice was thus continued at sensitive locations despite the introduction of the new uniforms.
.
While rare, there were cases of officers running foul of the law.
From July 1999, CISCO implemented measures to curb corruption amongst its officers in the midst of several publicised cases of corruption involving CISCO Officers.
These included:
with their service revolvers, although few cases were actually attributed to work-related issues. On 23 April 2002, 50-year-old officer, Constable R. Sathasivam, shot himself in the head after failing in his attempt to murder his estranged wife at her workplace in the Institute of South East Asian Studies. As a result of this incident, all officers were no longer allowed to commute on public or private transport from their workplace to the headquarters building in Paya Lebar
, and are to report immediately between the headquarters and workplace via transportation provided by the security company.
Auxiliary police
Auxiliary police or special constables in England) are usually the part-time reserves of a regular police force. They may be armed or unarmed. They may be unpaid volunteers or paid members of the police service with which they are affiliated...
forces authorized to provide armed security officers to government organizations as well as private companies or individuals in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It has its roots as a department of the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
(SPF), which branched out as the Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation , a statutory board with a monopoly over most areas of the local private armed security industry.
From 1 June 2005, the statutory board was dissolved and Cisco Security Pte Ltd was formed upon its corporatisation as a fully owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings
Temasek Holdings
Temasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
, and inaugurated on 5 July 2005. The abbreviation of the former statutory board, "CISCO", was retained due to its reputation in the local market. The company was renamed as Certis CISCO Security Pte Ltd in 13 September 2007.
As the oldest Auxiliary Police Force with a monopoly over most of the private armed security sector in Singapore for 33 years, CISCO continues to leverage its relatively strong track record compared to its less-established competitors in the liberalised security sector. It maintains a visible presence in many key establishments, including the private residences of VVIPs. They were deployed in major events such as the Singapore 2006
Singapore 2006
Singapore 2006 was a group of several concurrent events that were held in Singapore in support of the 61st Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group...
IMF Meetings, the New Year Countdown at Marina Bay in 2007 and 2008, the Chingay Parade
Chingay Parade
The Chingay Parade is an annual street parade held in Penang, Malaysia and Singapore as part of Chinese New Year festivities. The term Chingay itself originated in Southeast Asia, particularly in Penang, which is a phonetic equivalent of the Chinese words "妆艺", which means "a decorated miniature...
and the Thaipusam
Thaipusam
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai . It is celebrated not only in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where Tamil communities are smaller, such as Singapore and Malaysia...
processions. They also continue to dominate some services such as the transportation of valuables, most visibly in the form of delivering cash to automated teller machine
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s.
Origins
CISCO came into being in 1972 in the wake of a police employment scheme review by a committee led by Professor Lee Soo Ann a year earlier. It recommended that the Singapore Police Force's Guard and Escort Unit (守卫及护卫组), itself formed in 1958, be hived off as a statutory board of the Government of SingaporeGovernment of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
, in a bid to relieve manpower constraints on the SPF by empowering the new statutory board with the ability to conduct its own recruitment schemes tailored specifically for armed security services.
At its dissolution, the Guard and Escort Unit had a strength of 1,600 police officers, who received the same training as their counterparts in police divisions, and are mostly deployed as guards in commercial banks. The new statutory board absorbed most of these regular officers, although the committee recommended the early retirement of 460 older officers, with an enhanced pension scheme offered to them as compensation. A recruitment drive was also initiated on 1 April to recruit other police officers and boost its strength to 2,000.
CISCO, as a separate statutory board, became Singapore's only commercial entity offering armed security services. Its policemen continue to receive training via a 7-week residential training course at the CISCO Police Training School, which is adjacent to the Police Academy at Thomson Road
Thomson Road, Singapore
Thomson Road is a major trunk road linking Singapore's central business district with the northern suburban areas. Taking its name from John Turnbull Thomson, a Scotsman who was the Government Surveyor and Chief Engineer of the Straits Settlements from 1841 to 1853 and who helped build many roads...
, with training assistance from the Academy. Over time, the course was streamlined to fit their specific operation needs, and instruction was gradually taken over by fellow CISCO officers. CISCO police officers were dressed largely similar to their counterparts in the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
, and CISCO vehicles were also largely similar, except with the addition of a CISCO logo. CISCO officers were paid a salary of about S$650 in the 1970s.
Diversification
In the next decades, the company diversified its operations beyond the provisioning of armed guards, providing a range of security-related services, including enforcement, management, and consultancy services for not just physical, but also data and IT-related needs. In 1991, the board's new chief executive, Chan Boon Kiong initiated wide-ranging changes to turn the company round into a commercial entity with an annual turnover of S$200 million, with diversification into various aspects of security. As the company began to diversify, its traditional armed police operations were organised under the name of CISCO Auxiliary Police under the Product Division, together with the CISCO Recall Total Information Management Pte Ltd and other specialised departments. It also began to expand abroad, having first established a joint venture with Zhong-Bao Security Industry Company in China in July 1995 with a 60% stake.CISCO officially opened its new Headquarters building at Jalan Affifi off Upper Paya Lebar Road on 20 June 1986, which then boasted some of the most modern facilities including the first computerised indoor shooting range in Singapore. On 2 March 1994, work commenced to extend the CISCO Headquarters building to incorporate facilities to process and store high-value items and a computer disaster recovery centre. The SCORE
Score
Score may refer to:*Score , a 2006 album by Dream Theater*Score , a number of points achieved in a sporting event or game*Score , a 1972 sexplotaition film*Score , a pornographic magazine...
Counselling Centre was opened in the building on 5 December 1996.
CISCO entered into a joint venture with Brambles Industries Ltd from Australia in May 1996 with a 51% stake to form CISCO Recall Total Information Management Pte Ltd as part of its foray into the information management industry. On 8 June 1999, the first purpose-built CISCO Recall Centre was officially opened, which included a 43-metre high document storage facility, the tallest single-storey building in Singapore. A second CISCO Recall Centre was opened in Chin Bee Avenue on 10 September 2003, by which time the company's CISCO Recall service has 33 government agencies amongst its clients.
By 1998, the company has over 2,000 clients which has installed security systems linked to CISCO's alarm monitoring system, an increase of 25% since 1996. This included some 500 private homes which paid between S$2000 to S$1million for such systems. CISCO entered into a joint-venture with the National Library Board
National Library Board
The National Library Board is a statutory board of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore...
on 21 June 1999 to establish a digital signature
Digital signature
A digital signature or digital signature scheme is a mathematical scheme for demonstrating the authenticity of a digital message or document. A valid digital signature gives a recipient reason to believe that the message was created by a known sender, and that it was not altered in transit...
certification authority service.
CISCO manned the Area Licensing Scheme
Singapore Area Licensing Scheme
The Singapore Area Licensing Scheme , introduced in 1975, charged drivers entering downtown Singapore, and thereby aimed to manage traffic demand. This was the first urban traffic congestion pricing scheme to be successfully implemented in the world...
gantries in 1975 until the introduction of Electronic Road Pricing
Electronic Road Pricing
The Electronic Road Pricing scheme is an electronic toll collection scheme adopted in Singapore to manage traffic by road pricing, and as a usage-based taxation mechanism to complement the purchase-based Certificate of Entitlement system...
in September 1998, where 105 officers were redeployed. CISCO officers began to assist the Traffic Police as traffic wardens to curb illegal parking on 1 November 1999. Over 12,100 parking violation notices were subsequently issued in the next two months, prompting their implementation in more areas to allow the Traffic Police to concentrate on enforcing traffic rules on the move.
During the height of the SARS crisis, CISCO officers were deployed to serve Home Quarantine Orders at the residents homes and install CCTVs at their homes. These were enforced by about 60 officers, who were given the power to electronically tag those who violate the order Their high-risk duty was mentioned for praise during the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
's National Day Rally Speech in 2003
After the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, CISCO reported an increase in business as a result of heightened security demands. From November 2004, CISCO officers were deployed to assist in enforcing sensitive locations such as Jurong Island
Jurong Island
Jurong Island is an artificial island located to the southwest of the main island of Singapore, off Jurong Industrial Estate. It was formed from the amalgamation of seven offshore islands, the islands of Pulau Ayer Chawan, Pulau Ayer Merbau, Pulau Merlimau, Pulau Pesek, Pulau Pesek Kechil , Pulau...
. CISCO ventured into professional investigation services in 2005.
Corporatisation
Over the years, the license to provide armed security services has been extended to other companies, including the Auxiliary PoliceAuxiliary police
Auxiliary police or special constables in England) are usually the part-time reserves of a regular police force. They may be armed or unarmed. They may be unpaid volunteers or paid members of the police service with which they are affiliated...
Forces operated by PSA Corporation, Changi International Airport Services
Changi International Airport Services
Changi International Airport Services is currently the second largest ground handling provider at Singapore Changi Airport, providing services for 27 scheduled airlines and to about 40 non-scheduled airline companies, including cargo handling, catering, as well as security services.CIAS was...
, Singapore Airport Terminal Services
Singapore Airport Terminal Services
SATS Ltd. , commonly abbreviated as SATS is the chief ground-handling and in-flight catering service provider at Singapore Changi Airport. SATS controls about 80% of Changi airport's ground handling and catering business....
, and Singapore Technologies Kinetics
Singapore Technologies Kinetics
ST Kinetics is the land systems and specialty vehicles arm of ST Engineering. In 2000, ST Engineering acquired the Chartered Industries of Singapore through ST Automotive, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, and the new company was named ST Kinetics...
, although these officers have their policing powers restricted to their areas of operation. In the wake of rising security concerns, the government decided to introduce greater competition in the armed security service industry.
As a result of measure to create a more level playing field
Level playing field
A level playing field is a concept about fairness, not that each player has an equal chance to succeed, but that they all play by the same set of rules. A metaphorical playing field is said to be level if no external interference affects the ability of the players to compete fairly...
, the CISCO Act was dissolved, and CISCO ceased being a statutory board, corporatised as a fully government owned company, and coming under the same legislative and regulatory guidelines as the other Auxiliary Police Forces. The new company will not longer utilise the Singapore Police Force's crest, and changes will be made to the uniforms of its police officers, in line with its counterparts in the armed security industry.
To minimise disruptions during the corporatisation process, the Ministry of Home Affairs transferred all of its former statutory board's assets, liabilities, staff and contracts to the new company, and did not give it a moratorium
Moratorium (law)
A moratorium is a delay or suspension of an activity or a law. In a legal context, it may refer to the temporary suspension of a law to allow a legal challenge to be carried out....
since the statutory board has already engaged in commercial services. The new company took over all businesses the statutory board had engaged in, and is now liberated to enter or exit from contracts based on its own commercial interests.
On 1 June 2005, the corporatisation process was completed and the new CISCO Security Private Limited formed.
Incidents
Since its inception, CISCO officers have been involved in a number of incidents. Several CISCO constables and Lance Corporals have been shot and killed while on duty, and others injured.Several officers has also been involved in some high-profile incidents, such as a gun-snatching incident and an attempted bank robbery by a CISCO officer in Bukit Timah
Bukit Timah
Bukit Timah is an area in Singapore and a hill in that area. Bukit Timah is located near the centre of the Singapore main island. The hill stands at an altitude of 163.63 metres and is the highest point in the city-state of Singapore...
. One Lance Corporal prevented a robbery by firing two rounds at a robber.
Deployments
Some current deployments of armed Certis CISCO personal include:- private residences of VVIPs
- Attorney-General's Chambers
- Changi Prison Complex
- Home Team AcademyHome Team AcademyThe Home Team Academy is the training institute for various organisations of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Singapore, including the Singapore Police Force, the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the Central Narcotics Bureau, the Singapore Prison Service, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority,...
- the Istana (as the Istana Police)
- Jurong IslandJurong IslandJurong Island is an artificial island located to the southwest of the main island of Singapore, off Jurong Industrial Estate. It was formed from the amalgamation of seven offshore islands, the islands of Pulau Ayer Chawan, Pulau Ayer Merbau, Pulau Merlimau, Pulau Pesek, Pulau Pesek Kechil , Pulau...
- Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho TempleKwan Im Thong Hood Cho TempleKwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple is a traditional Chinese temple situated at 178 Waterloo Street in Singapore. The temple is of significance to the Chinese in Singapore, and is believed to bring worshipers good luck after praying to the Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Mercy...
- Marina BarrageMarina BarrageThe Marina Barrage is a dam in Singapore built across the mouth of the bay, between Marina East and Marina South. It was officially opened on 1 November 2008[1]...
- Marina Bay Sands
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs BuildingMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore)The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for conducting and managing diplomatic relations between Singapore and other countries. It is headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the office currently held by K...
- New Phoenix Park
- Parliament HouseParliament House, SingaporeThe Parliament House of Singapore is a public building and cultural landmark and houses the Parliament of Singapore. It is located in the Civic District of the Downtown Core within Singapore's central business district . Within its vicinity is Raffles Place, which lies across it from the Singapore...
- Singapore Changi AirportSingapore Changi AirportSingapore Changi Airport , Changi International Airport, or simply Changi Airport, is the main airport in Singapore. A major aviation hub in Southeast Asia, it is about north-east from the commercial centre in Changi, on a site....
- Singapore General HospitalSingapore General HospitalThe Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
- Subordinate Courts of SingaporeSubordinate Courts of SingaporeThe Subordinate Courts of Singapore is one of the two tiers of the court system in Singapore, the other tier being the Supreme Court. The Subordinate Courts comprise the District and Magistrate Courts—both of which oversee civil and criminal matters—as well as specialised family, juvenile,...
- Supreme Court building
- The Treasury
Former deployments
Some deployments were no longer carried out, including:- Esplanade - Theatres on the BayEsplanade - Theatres on the BayEsplanade – Theatres on the Bay is a waterside building located on six hectares of waterfront land alongside Marina Bay near the mouth of the Singapore River, purpose-built to be the centre for performing arts for the island nation of Singapore...
(taken over by AetosAetos Security ManagementAETOS Security Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, provides security solutions to a diverse clientele.Established in 2004, AETOS commenced operations following the strategic merger of the Auxiliary Police Forces of PSA Corporation Ltd, Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd and...
) - Tuas Checkpoint (taken over by AetosAetos Security ManagementAETOS Security Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, provides security solutions to a diverse clientele.Established in 2004, AETOS commenced operations following the strategic merger of the Auxiliary Police Forces of PSA Corporation Ltd, Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd and...
) - Woodlands Checkpoint (taken over by AetosAetos Security ManagementAETOS Security Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, provides security solutions to a diverse clientele.Established in 2004, AETOS commenced operations following the strategic merger of the Auxiliary Police Forces of PSA Corporation Ltd, Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd and...
)
Uniforms
Given its former affiliation with the Singapore Police Force, CISCO officers wore the same dark blue uniform as that of the police force when it was formed in 1972. As the sole private armed security agency, and with several sensitive roles passed on to CISCO, the uniforms were kept similar such that the general public would not be able to tell CISCO officers from regular police officers unless under close scrutiny. The primary distinguishing feature was of a black plastic name tag with a white border, as opposed to the plain all-black name tags worn by the police regulars.As a result of several uniform reviews both by CISCO and the police in subsequent decades, however, it became easier to distinguish CISCO officers. The blue beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
and long-sleeved shirts, phased out in favour of the peaked cap and shirt-sleeved shirts for most normal police officers, was still retained in the CISCO uniform. Similarly, CISCO retained the old metallic cap badges and collar lapels although they were replaced with embroidered versions in the SPF.
When CISCO was corporatised as CISCO Security on 1 June 2005, officers continued to don the old uniforms pending a review of their uniforms. Under governmental direction, the uniform was modified to inject distinguishing features between them and that of those worn by officers of the SPF to foster a more level playing field with other Auxiliary Police Forces in Singapore. From 15 June 2005, all 3,200 uniformed CISCO personal switched to the new uniforms.
The new uniforms saw the adoption of a new corporate colour, steel blue, and the material was changed from pure polyester
Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
to poly viscose
Viscose
Viscose is a viscous organic liquid used to make rayon and cellophane. Viscose is becoming synonymous with rayon, a soft material commonly used in shirts, shorts, coats, jackets, and other outer wear.-Manufacture:...
. New buttons and badges on the cap and collars incorporating CISCO's logo were used in place of similar logos to the regular police force. The leather belt was changed from black to brown, as is a band around the peak cap. There is also a horizontal cutting across the chest from one pocket to the other.
While the new uniform was implemented across the company, some officers tasked to perform specific roles were exempt from the change, in particular those involving provision of security for sensitive locations or personnel, such as the Istana, the Supreme Court building and the private residences of VVIPs. Close resemblance of the old CISCO uniform with that of the regular police has allowed the latter to outsource sensitive roles, yet providing a visual impression of continued police presence. This practice was thus continued at sensitive locations despite the introduction of the new uniforms.
Issues
There has been cases of Certis CISCO officers becoming the subject of criticism on occasion, including a recent complaint against an officer for his lack of flexibility while on duty at the Singapore General HospitalSingapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
.
While rare, there were cases of officers running foul of the law.
- 21 CISCO Constables were charged with using counterfeit medical certificates on 23 June 1998 and subsequently fired.
- On 12 August 1999, CISCO officer, Abdul Latif Mohamad, 32, was charged for misappropriation of S$1200 while working at DBS BankDBS BankDBS Bank Ltd is a bank incorporated in Singapore. It was previously known as The Development Bank of Singapore Limited, before the present name was adopted in July 2003 to reflect its changing role as a regional bank....
. - CISCO officer Loh Chong Hong, 22, was charged for negligence after accidentally firing a round from his service revolver while on duty at a goldsmith shop at North Bridge RoadNorth Bridge RoadNorth Bridge Road is a road in Singapore north of Singapore River, that starts at the junction of Crawford Street and ends before Elgin Bridge, which the road becomes South Bridge Road. The road is one of the oldest roads in Singapore and was outlined in Raffles' 1822 Town Plan...
on 7 September 1999. - On 14 November 2006, CISCO officer, Loqmanul Hakim Buang, 23, was arrested for shoplifting. Dressed in uniform and carrying his service weapon, he had walked into Sheng SiongSheng SiongSheng Siong is a supermarket and hypermarket chain based in Singapore.-History:Sheng Siong was founded by PBM Mr. Lim Hock Chee, now its CEO. After winding up his stall selling pork in 1985, Lim founded Sheng Siong's foremost operation in a single shophouse unit. Sheng Siong has evolved since into...
Hypermart in Jurong, and calmly attempted to walk out carrying two DVD players. He was charged on 16 November.
Corruption
- On 30 December 1999, CISCO officers Goh Kim Huat, 25, and Ganesan Vijayakamaran, 24 were charged for accepted bribes during inspection of their cargo and vehicles.
From July 1999, CISCO implemented measures to curb corruption amongst its officers in the midst of several publicised cases of corruption involving CISCO Officers.
These included:
- Requiring all officers to undergo psychological tests before being posted to vulnerable posts such as checkpoints.
- Officers were put on more frequent rotations such that they do not serve the same post for more than a year.
- Deployments will be announced only on the day of duty, and all officers must declare any money they carry before and after their shifts.
- Officers with extravagant lifestyles were identified and monitored, with suspect cases reported to the Corrupt Practices Investigation BureauCorrupt Practices Investigation BureauCorrupt Practices Investigation Bureau is a government agency in Singapore which investigates and prosecutes corruption in the public and private sectors...
. - Officers were educated on the consequences of corruption, and were given channels to report any corruption practises.
- Cases of officers who refuse to accept bribes were given publicity in the press.
- CISCO Lcp Mohammad Nasir Salleh and Constable Mohammad Sharani Rais, both 32, were commended for turning down a S$30 bribe from a trailer driver on 9 June 2001.
Suicide
As an armed organisation, there has been cases of CISCO officers committing or attempting to commit suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
with their service revolvers, although few cases were actually attributed to work-related issues. On 23 April 2002, 50-year-old officer, Constable R. Sathasivam, shot himself in the head after failing in his attempt to murder his estranged wife at her workplace in the Institute of South East Asian Studies. As a result of this incident, all officers were no longer allowed to commute on public or private transport from their workplace to the headquarters building in Paya Lebar
Paya Lebar
Paya Lebar is an area in the north-eastern part of Singapore. It is served by Paya Lebar Station, on the East West Line of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit system. It is an urban planning area. The Singapore Post Centre is located there too....
, and are to report immediately between the headquarters and workplace via transportation provided by the security company.