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It’s 31 October 2025, the spookiest day of the year: Halloween. While residents of the Woodgrove neighbourhood in Woodlands don their Halloween costumes, a team of Police National Service (PNS) officers from Woodlands Police Division put on their gear to ensure a safe and smooth Halloween night for all.
Now in its 19th year, Woodgrove’s Halloween celebration has become a neighbourhood tradition. 2025 also marks the second year that PNS officers are leading the event’s security deployment.
What goes into the security planning and deployment for such a major event? We spoke with Superintendent of Police (Supt) (NS) Pow Choon Wee and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) (NS) Sebastian Poh to learn more!
The Halloween Challenge
As Ground Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Supt (NS) Pow is no stranger to the event, having led last year’s security operations. Working alongside Deputy Ground OIC ASP (NS) Poh, he’s committed to their mission of maintaining visible Police presence through regular patrols of the neighbourhood.
“We’re looking at about 1,000 people at the event at any given time,” Supt (NS) Pow shares. “With such numbers, crowd management and traffic control are essential to maintain public order.”
“The main road along Woodgrove Avenue can easily become congested during the event,” ASP (NS) Poh adds. “Heavy crowds could also delay the response time for officers. These are considerations that we need to address during our deployment planning.”
Learning from Last Year’s Frights
Planning started months before the event with Supt (NS) Pow and ASP (NS) Poh conducting an after-action review of the 2024 deployment with the officers involved.
“Since last year was the first time that we’d helmed the event, it provided us with a good foundation and first-hand experience to identify challenges and make the necessary adjustments,” Supt (NS) Pow shares.
Despite the festive atmosphere, he’s clear about their role: “We're not here to celebrate; we’re here to prevent, detect and deter crime.”
The Mentorship Behind the Magic
This year’s Halloween deployment came with a twist: Supt (NS) Pow isn’t just leading – he’s also passing the torch to ASP (NS) Poh. “I see him as a mentee whom I entrust to take over my role next year,” Supt (NS) Pow explains.
For Supt (NS) Pow, forward planning isn’t just good practice – it’s essential. “Empowering fellow officers is a vital part of helping them succeed later,” he says.
Stepping into the planning role brought new challenges for ASP (NS) Poh. “I had to consider so many more aspects for the event, such as operational procedures and stakeholder management,” he says.
The experience has sharpened his decision-making abilities, preparing him well to take full command next year. “Supt (NS) Pow’s valuable experience and guidance also gave me a solid foundation to work from,” he says. “It made the entire preparation process much smoother.”
Making It Happen
A successful deployment also relies on close coordination with key partners and stakeholders. On Halloween night, officers from Woodlands Police Division also collaborated with auxiliary police officers onsite and the Singapore American School to ensure that the event ran smoothly.
On the ground, there was a clear differentiation of roles: the auxiliary police managed traffic while the PNS officers handled law enforcement. “We entrusted traffic control matters to our auxiliary counterparts so that we could focus on monitoring the situation within the event area, for effective response,” Supt (NS) Pow explains.
These arrangements mirror those from 2024, with changes made for greater effectiveness. “We’re leveraging existing relationships with our stakeholders to ensure a successful deployment this year,” ASP (NS) Poh adds.
The Passion That Powers Through
Behind every successful deployment lies personal sacrifice and unwavering commitment. For Supt (NS) Pow, who works for a multinational bank, the PNS journey has been a fulfilling one. “My policing experience has contributed significantly to my career trajectory and who I am today,” he reflects. “That’s why I decided to extend my PNS stint after completing my 10-year PNS obligation to pay it forward to the next generation of the PNS community.”
ASP (NS) Poh is an educator by calling and sees his dual roles as complementary. “When you see the PNS commitment as part of a whole package, the balancing act becomes easier,” he explains.
As PNS celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, their motivation to serve remains clear: “For the pride of our fellow PNSmen, even if we’ve completed our obligatory duties,” says Supt (NS) Pow.
As Halloween celebrations at Woodgrove dwindled down and families made their way home, it marked another successful deployment with our PNS officers demonstrating that effective policing means more than just maintaining law and order – it also supports community traditions and helps them thrive safely.
“Leading this event alongside Supt (NS) Pow reminds me why policing matters,” ASP (NS) Poh reflects. “It’s about keeping our community safe so that people can celebrate with peace of mind.”
