Security on the Mass Rapid Transit
Encyclopedia
Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
system 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...
related to crime and terrorism are not high on the agenda of the system's planners since its inception . For instance, there was no physical police presence in the rail system, and nor were private security guards deployed. CCTV systems were not widely used, and there were no passenger service booths on the platform level, the only manned booth being the one at the station control room. These measures were not necessary, however, as incidents of crime rarely occurred on the rail system.
Enforcement
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...
, and also particularly the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks in which the commuter rail system was targeted, the Singapore government initiated several measures aimed at securing the rail system from a similar attack. In the months immediately after the Madrid attacks, the two rail operators, SMRT Corporation
SMRT Corporation
SMRT Corporation is a public transport operator incorporated on March 6, 2000, as a result of an industry overhaul to form multi-modal public-transport operators in Singapore. It is the second-largest public-transport company in Singapore after ComfortDelGro...
and SBS Transit
SBS Transit
SBS Transit Limited is a public transport operator in Singapore. Its major competitor in Singapore's duopoly transport system is SMRT Corporation, which also operates bus, rail, taxi and other transport services....
, started employing private unarmed guards who patrol the station platforms, and are empowered to check the belongings of commuters. 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...
announced that regular police officers may commence patrolling duties within stations and trains, although this was not visibly apparent except in the immediate period after announcements were made.
In reaction to a second major terrorist attack on a public transport system in the 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
, the police
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...
deployed armed Police Tactical Unit
Police Tactical Unit (Singapore)
The Police Tactical Unit is a paramilitary specialist unit of the Singapore Police Force and comes under the direct command of the Special Operations Command. Based in Queenstown, it is the main anti-rioting and disaster-management unit of the police force. They are also called upon to handle...
officers to patrol within stations the day after the bombings occurred, while pre-existing security measures were placed on higher alert.http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/156968/1/.html http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/157138/1/.html
On 14 April 2005, 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...
made a public announcement on its plans to step-up rail security http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/142602/1/.html by establishing a new specialised then known as the Police MRT Unit
Police MRT Unit
The Public Transport Security Command ) is a specialised transit police unit of the Singapore Police Force. It was first established as a unit of the Special Operations Command under the name Police MRT Unit in 2005 in response to the need for greater security concerns in public transport...
. These armed officers began visible patrols on the MRT and LRT systems http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/163270/1/.html on 15 August 2005, conducting random patrols in pairs in and around rail stations and within trains. Dressed in tactical uniforms similar to members from the Police Tactical Unit
Police Tactical Unit (Singapore)
The Police Tactical Unit is a paramilitary specialist unit of the Singapore Police Force and comes under the direct command of the Special Operations Command. Based in Queenstown, it is the main anti-rioting and disaster-management unit of the police force. They are also called upon to handle...
, they are however differentiated by blue-coloured 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....
s, and are armed with less firepower with each officer carrying a Taurus Model 85
Taurus Model 85
The Taurus Model 85 is a small-frame revolver manufactured by the Brazilian firearm company Taurus International.The Model 85 is available in several configurations. These include blued steel, stainless steel, and "Ultralite" variants constructed of aluminum and titanium, with steel lockwork...
revolver and T-baton similar to officers from Neighbourhood Police Centre
Neighbourhood Police Centre
A neighbourhood police centre is a mid-sized police station in Singapore, introduced in 1997 to replace the Singapore Police Force's Neighbourhood Police Post system...
s. http://www.asia1.com.sg/st/st_20050816_334786.html These officers are trained and authorised to utilise their firearms based on the officers' discretion, including "shoot to kill
Deadly force
Deadly force, as defined by the United States Armed Forces, is the force which a person uses, causing—or that a person knows, or should know, would create a substantial risk of causing—death or serious bodily harm...
" if deemed necessary. On 15 August 2009, the unit was established as an independent unit known as the Public Transport Security Command.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
SMRT Corporation
SMRT Corporation is a public transport operator incorporated on March 6, 2000, as a result of an industry overhaul to form multi-modal public-transport operators in Singapore. It is the second-largest public-transport company in Singapore after ComfortDelGro...
, in line with existing fixtures in SBS Transit
SBS Transit
SBS Transit Limited is a public transport operator in Singapore. Its major competitor in Singapore's duopoly transport system is SMRT Corporation, which also operates bus, rail, taxi and other transport services....
trains. These measures were deemed necessary in light of the timing of the attacks which took place while the 117th IOC Session
117th IOC Session
The 117th International Olympic Committee Session was held for the first time in Singapore from 2 July to 9 July 2005. The meeting was particularly significant as two important decisions were made through voting during the session - namely the selection of the hosting city for the 2012 Summer...
was still in progress in the city, and that the meeting venue at Raffles City
Raffles City
Raffles City is a large complex located in the Civic District within the Downtown Core of the city-state of Singapore. Occupying an entire city block bounded by Stamford Road, Beach Road, Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road, it houses two hotels and an office tower over a podium which contains a...
was located beside City Hall MRT Station
City Hall MRT Station
City Hall MRT Station ' is an underground Mass Rapid Transit station in Singapore, that is part of the North South Line and the East West Line in Singapore, and serves as an interchange station between the two lines....
, a major interchange station with very high passenger traffic.
Announcements & notices
"Attention please, please do not leave your belongings unattended. If you see any suspicious-looking person or article, please inform our staff."- Recorded audio announcements such as the above played in stations & trains, notices on plasma display screens on station platforms and in train carriages, as well as posters and notices in stations remind commuters to report instances of unattended packages and other suspicious activities to the authorities.
Trash bins & mail boxes
Trash bins and mail boxesPost box
A post box is a physical box into which members of the public can deposit outgoing mail intended for collection by the agents of a country's postal service...
were relocated from the station platform and concourse levels to the station entrances.
This precautionary measure has been taken to safeguard Singapore MRT stations.