Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Koh Wei Keong (许伟强) will assume the command of Jurong Division as Commander Jurong Division on 26 October 2015. He takes over from Assistant Commissioner (AC) Wilson Lim Hock Lee (æž—ç¦åˆ©), who will be moving on to assume the appointment of Director, Public Affairs Department and Community Partnership Department, at Police Headquarters on the same day.
DAC Koh, 44 years old, joined the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 1995. He has served 20 years with SPF, holding several key appointments including Head Operations of Security Command, Assistant Director of Manpower Department (Recruitment), Deputy Commander of Security Command, Deputy Commander, Jurong Division and 2 Deputy Director of Operations Department.
AC Lim, 43 years old, was appointed Commander, Jurong Division on 5 November 2012. He joined the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 1996 and has served 19 years with SPF, holding several key appointments including Assistant Director of Operations Department (Operations Planning), Deputy Commander, Bedok Division and 2 Deputy Director of Operations Department.
During AC Lim's tenure as Commander Jurong Division, the Division achieved a 21% drop (from 635 cases in 2012 to 504 cases in 2014) in Five Preventable Offences namely Housebreaking, Motor Vehicle Theft, Robbery, Outrage of Modesty offence and Snatch Theft; and a 28% drop (from 2385 cases in 2012 to 1720 cases in 2014) in Unlicensed Money-Lender Harassment offence.
In that time, AC Lim had spearheaded projects involving foreign workers under Project Alliance. Launched in 2014, Project Alliance is in line with the objective of being a Centre of Excellence in public disorder management and engagement strategies for foreign workers. The three key objectives under Project Alliance are to reduce crime, reduce social dis-amenities and prevent public disorder involving foreign workers.
Since 2014, AC Lim had implemented many crime prevention and education initiatives for foreign workers residing in dormitories, including the 'Safest and Cleanest Rooms' competition, a 'Welcome and Induction'(WIN) briefing package for all new tenants, the production of a new crime prevention video titled “Keep It, Lock It or Lose It!â€, encouraging companies to adopt cashless GIRO salary payment, launching of a new Crime Prevention and Awareness Guide for foreign workers, holding regular crime prevention outreach roadshows and implementing the Foreign Workers Ambassador programme whereby foreign workers spread information on crime prevention and societal norms to their peers.
As part of Project Alliance, two novel initiatives namely, Project HeartWear and the inaugural Juliet Dormitories Cricket league 2015, were introduced by AC Lim. Under Project HeartWear, officers from Jurong Division were encouraged to donate their clothing to foreign workers living in the jurisdiction of Jurong Division. This project was put into action when the division swiftly donated more than 800 pieces of clothing to 200 construction workers when their entire dormitory was gutted by a fire on 11 June 2015.
The Inaugural Juliet Dormitories Cricket League 2015 held on 27 September 2015, served as a platform to engage our foreign worker community through sports. Working in collaboration with SCAL (Singapore Contractors Association Limited), a 8-team cricket tournament was organised by Jurong Division and involved participants from 8 Purpose-Built Dormitories.
AC Lim hopes to leverage on this sport to spread crime prevention messages effectively and strengthening the cohesion among the workers. The players from each participating team will also act as Foreign-Worker-Ambassador (FWA) for the Police and they were required to perform crime prevention activities such as taking part in crime prevention outreach roadshows prior to the tournament and thereafter joining for patrols with police officers at their respective dormitories.
AC Lim strongly believes in engaging foreign workers at both social and emotional levels. This is crucial in building trust and facilitating communication, mutual respect and understanding not just between the Police and foreign workers but between the foreign workers and the larger community as well, thereby ensuring a harmonious relationship within the community.
AC Lim had also focused heavily on safeguarding the community. In 2014, as part of the Community Safety and Security Programme (CSSP), AC Lim spear-headed the Be SAFE crime prevention campaign against outrage of modesty where residents were educated on personal safety measures through videos and crime prevention posters, and installation of reflective films in the lifts of over 300 HDB blocks.
Another key CSSP project that was introduced and rolled out island-wide recently by AC Lim was the anti-theft initiative, ShopWatch. The Singapore Police Force, in collaboration with Sheng Siong Pte Ltd, launched the ShopWatch CSSP in all Sheng Siong supermarket outlets on 14 October 2015 which seeks to involve corporate partners in creating greater deterrence against crimes at shopping districts. Sheng Siong Pte Ltd staff members on duty will now don the ShopWatch vests to enhance their presence in order to deter shop theft.
AC Lim said that he looks forward to contribute in his new capacities as concurrent Director of Public Affairs and Partnership Department. He further said,
“In this dynamic media environment, it is important for us to communicate information to the public quickly so one focus is to ensure that we provide timely and accurate information via the most effective communication platforms. The other focus will be to enhance our online engagement with the community. Under Community Partnership, I will deepen Police's engagement with the community by spearheading Police-Community partnership programmes and enhance volunteer management, with Police as a trusted community partner.
AC Wilson Lim handing over the Command Sword to Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck.
DAC Koh Wei Keong taking over the Command Sword from Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
23 October 2015 @ 8:15 PM