The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) celebrated the 30th Anniversary of Crimewatch on Friday, 22 July 2016, at the NCPC 35th Anniversary Dinner held at One Farrer Hotel and Spa. Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, was the Guest-of-Honour for the event.
Crimewatch attracted 1.3 million viewers when it made its debut in November 1986. This was an outstanding feat as weekly primetime favourites only had an average audience of about 850,000 back then. What was even more impressive was the response from the public who provided information to the Police following the first episode, resulting in the arrest of nine men.
The show’s success in inspiring public assistance was recognised as a fresh approach to foster the relationship between the Police and the community as well as to encourage public spiritedness and self-help.
Thirty years on, Crimewatch has stood the test of time, evolving and adapting to a constantly changing Singapore demographic and managing to stay relevant. It continues to enjoy high viewership and has regularly ranked as the number one programme on Channel 5. It is also consistently ranked among the top ten programmes on Channel 8, Suria and Vasantham. Each episode attracts an average of 1.2 million viewers on TV and social media platforms like Toggle, Facebook and YouTube. Also, as Singapore’s longest running docu-drama, Crimewatch received a special award from MediaCorp at the Star Awards 2016.
Importance of Crimewatch
The action-filled re-enactment of actual cases and police investigation has proven to be a draw for the audience, but it is the educational nature of the programme that is the most appealing to viewers. Most tune in to the monthly telecasts wanting to obtain crime prevention tips and to be informed of the latest crime trends. Over the years, Crimewatch viewers have become more vigilant, and believe that they have a role to play in preventing crime.
Mr Tan Kian Hoon, Chairman of NCPC, said: “We are happy that Crimewatch has been well received by Singaporeans and has grown into a household name over the last 30 years. It has been effective in increasing the awareness that many types of crime can be prevented if we do our part. We need to be constantly watchful, work with our neighbours and as a community to prevent crime. In addition, the public has also become more trusting of our Police’s capabilities and efficiency in law enforcement. We are proud that the NCPC and Crimewatch have been the catalysts helping to keep Singapore safe.”
Crimewatch has remained a powerful tool in policing and crime prevention education. It provides an additional channel for the NCPC and Police to connect with the public, giving them insights into the nature of law enforcement as well as creating an awareness on crime prevention.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
22 July 2016 @ 8:20 PM