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Police Life has served as an excellent training ground for its contributors, propelling many of them into long, successful careers over the years.
Two decades at the helm of newspapers in the Middle East; stewarding communications at universities worldwide; patiently guiding insurance clients; and managing manpower talent for the Singapore Police Force (SPF) – these are just some of the roles that past contributors have played.
As a young writer now steering Police Life into its next chapter, it was humbling to listen to the lessons of forebearers who worked on the platform at various points in its 50-year voyage.
They once stood in my position, brimming with ideas and plying their craft on behalf of the SPF, long before their skills carried them to different pastures.
Back to the Beginning
One such contributor is ex-Police Life Associate Editor Clement Mesenas, 79. A pioneering member of the editorial team, he helmed the first issue when it was launched back in 1976.
His mandate? To document the broad range of Police duties and share these stories with the public. Mr Mesenas worked with Police officers and fellow editors to map out assignments, plan interviews, edit copy and design page layouts. Before each edition went to print, final checks were conducted under his purview.
“The early days were challenging but I’m very proud to know that something we created 50 years ago, a little baby that was crawling along, is now a fully grown adult,” the former editor ruminated over a cup of coffee.
A member of his team was Mr Wee Ban Bee, now 83 and retired. Mr Wee recalled his National Service (NS) stint with Police Life from its inception to 1979, during which he was drafted to write a range of profiles and articles.
Mr Wee proposed including crossword puzzles in the print issues – an idea the team adopted – and wrote a piece on how traffic radar guns were used to catch speeding vehicles – “This was a novel piece of Police tech back in those days,” he recalled.
Into New Eras
Numerous contributors have done sterling work for Police Life as part of their NS duties. Among them is Mr Nisar Keshvani, 51. Enlisted into the SPF, he wrote for Police Life and worked on special projects from 1996 to 1998.
His happiest memory was helping to produce the 21st anniversary commemorative publication titled “A Tribute to Our Officers.”
“I still remember our immense relief when the first hundred printed copies arrived on the very day of the anniversary celebration,” he shared. “Despite the impossible deadline, everything came together somehow.”
As the decades passed, Police Life had to adapt to technological changes. In 2023, we moved from a print publishing to an online platform – a change overseen by Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) of Police Tan Tin Wee.
The 54-year-old served as the Director of the SPF’s Public Affairs Department from 2022 to 2025, where overseeing Police Life was one of his responsibilities.
A seasoned leader, SAC Tan had a commanding air of authority as I sat across from him during our interview.
“The move online has increased readership greatly and allowed us to track data like how long readers spend on each article,” he explained. “This lets the team review its content so that it can be even more effective.”
“And even though the work tempo for the team is much faster now, Police Life’s core mission has remained constant – to chronicle the SPF story, with the knowledge that what it documents now will serve as a historical record for the future,” said SAC Tan.
Where are They Now?
I met separately with the four contributors to learn where their paths had led them post-Police Life.
Mr Mesenas, the founding Associate Editor of Police Life, ventured further into journalism and editing, covering several conflicts in the ‘80s and ‘90s. These included the Lebanese Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War while serving with The Kuwait Times and Gulf News for 20 years.
“I was young, brave and foolish,” he chuckled, “more brawn than brain.”
The years haven’t slowed him down from a full day of activity – recounting his life in our interview, dishing out advice to the current Police Life team over lunch and clambering up stairs to reach the top floor of People’s Park Complex for our photoshoot.
The retiree has kept himself busy with various projects, shuttling between the Philippines and Singapore. I met Mr Mesenas when he returned recently to meet old friends and work on a podcast about ageing with dignity.
“Age is but a number,” he said.
Mr Mesenas isn’t the only Police Life staff member who ended up pursuing a career in communications.
Today, Mr Keshvani, the ex-writer, is based in the Middle East, working as the Assistant Dean for Communications and Public Affairs at Northwestern University (NU) in Qatar.
His work has taken him across five continents, from developing journalism courses at the Queensland University of Technology to directing communications strategy at the University of Central Asia – and now in Qatar.
He leads strategic communications and media relations, aligning them with the university’s mission.
“By the time I completed NS, I knew communications was no longer simply an interest,” he shared. “It had become my calling.”
We caught up online during a brief respite from his duties, fresh off participating in a flurry of meetings at NU’s main campus in the United States.
“Although the context of my work now is very different from that of the SPF, I often smile at the continuity. I’m still doing what first inspired me as a young NSman,” he said. “It’s about telling meaningful stories, preserving our institutional memory and celebrating the remarkable individuals who bring organisations to life.”
Branching Out
Mr Wee, the other ex-writer, spends his days in semi-retirement, tending to his garden and enjoying family time. He recalls his Police Life days fondly, with its high-octane pursuit of leads and stories.
Having undergone a heart bypass surgery six years ago, he now follows up with a small group of his insurance clients and devotes himself to the simpler pleasures of life. “I enjoy maintaining the staghorn ferns, philodendrons and flowers on my front porch,” he explained.
As for SAC Tan, he’s now the Director of the SPF’s Manpower Department (MPD). When I asked him how different his experience is now, looking after the SPF’s workforce versus managing its communications matters, he gave an analogy that deeply resonated with me.
“I liken my position at MPD to a gardener, cultivating and developing staff by giving them opportunities to develop themselves,” he shared, “and also recognising the ones that bloom.”
Passing the Torch
One sentiment unites all our past contributors – they’re proud to have played a role in Police Life celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Mr Mesenas enjoyed the full circle moment of speaking to the current team at Police Life. “I hope that you continue to produce engaging content that can reach the widest readership possible,” he said.
Mr Keshvani’s time with Police Life made him reflect on the importance of stewardship and being trusted with other people’s stories.
He hopes that every NS officer and team member discovers the same sense of purpose and generosity that was extended to him 30 years ago, as a young writer with Police Life.
“Every generation inherits an institution, but no one truly owns it as we’re simply its custodians for a while,” he said. “Our responsibility is to leave it a little stronger than we found it, before passing it on to those who come next.”
