Measures to Protect Traffic Enforcement Officers On Duty and Protocol for Emergency Situations
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns measures to protect traffic enforcement officers and the standardisation of emergency protocols for the Traffic Police (TP) and Land Transport Authority (LTA). Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked about training and safety enhancements, to which Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam replied that officers receive rigorous training in defensive techniques and standard operating procedures. New TP and LTA officers are mentored by experienced staff for up to six months before solo deployment, with TP officers attending annual refresher courses. Officers are also provided with protective riding gear and motorcycles equipped with enhanced safety features to mitigate risks on the road. Finally, the Minister noted that outsourced officers for low-risk functions receive appropriate training from their companies prior to deployment.
Transcript
14 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the fatal incident involving an LTA enforcement officer during a traffic chase (a) what are the measures in place to better protect the enforcement officers on the road; and (b) whether there are consistent training and standard operating procedures for such emergency situations applicable for all traffic enforcement officers including the Traffic Police, LTA or other enforcement officers.
Mr K Shanmugam: Traffic enforcement officers, including the Traffic Police (TP) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers, receive customised training in accordance with their duties, to equip them with the skills to carry out their functions safely and effectively.
The training, which TP and LTA officers go through, is rigorous and includes defensive riding and driving techniques as well as how to safely stop and engage drivers who violate the law. They are also taught the standard operating procedures in various scenarios. As TP officers enforce against irresponsible driving, they undergo additional training to handle such cases and are required to attend a riding refresher course every year.
Following the completion of their training, new TP and LTA officers are partnered with experienced officers for up to six months. They are deployed alone only after they are assessed to be competent. In addition, TP and LTA officers don protective riding gear and their motorcycles are equipped with several enhanced safety features.
Some low-risk functions, for example, illegal parking enforcement, are outsourced. These officers receive appropriate training by their respective companies before being deployed.