Crime Prevention Course For SJAB

1. Crime Prevention Course For SJAB

2. Scope • Common Crimes and Crime Prevention measures • Basic Observation skills • Reporting A Case • E-Information

3. 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

4. Forcing open windows, grille gates or doors. Gaining entry through unsecured doors, windows and other openings. Cutting padlocks, iron grilles or wire mesh. Housebreaking How it can happen:

5. 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. Housebreaking Preventive Measures:

6. Robbery How it can happen: • Victims approached and threatened to surrender their valuables. • 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. How it can happen: Smashing the vehicle windows Using a piece of metal strip or tools to force open car doors. Theft from Motor Vehicle

11. 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. Theft from Motor Vehicle

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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 non-designated places. Bicycle Theft

15. 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. Bicycle Theft

16. 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). Shop Theft

17. 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. Shop Theft

18. 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”. Lottery Phone Scam

19. 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. Lottery Phone Scam

20. 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. Kidnap Scam

21. 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. Kidnap Scam

22. 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. MULTIPLE PAYMENT ONLINE PURCHASE SCAM

23. 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. MULTIPLE PAYMENT ONLINE PURCHASE SCAM

24. 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! Unlicensed Moneylending

25. Harassment acts by loansharks: Phone calls and ‘House visits’ Painting the walls with O$P$ Setting fire to threaten the debtor Sending Hell Notes Unlicensed Moneylending

26. 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. Unlicensed Moneylending

27. 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. Unlicensed Moneylending

28. 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). Unlicensed Moneylending

29. Basic Observation Take note of the descriptions of the culprit • Important: • 1. Race – • Chinese, Malay, Indian or etc • 2. Complexion – • Fair, tanned, dark • 3. Build and height– • Small, medium, thin, plump, muscular • 4. 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 Appearance & physical attributes Type and Colour of clothing Type and Colour of footwear

30. 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; • Remain calm • Do not approach / confront the culprit • Call the Police at 999 • Take note of the description of the culprit • Take note of the direction which the culprit fled and his mode of escape

31. 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.

32. 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)