Timeline
- 1820 Establishment of the Singapore Police Force 1820 - 1826
- 1826 The police force expands to fight rising crime in a flourishing town 1826 - 1872
- 1872 Modernisation under the Straits Settlements Police Force 1872 - 1942
- 1946 Restoring order in the aftermath of war 1946 - 1959
- 1959 Safeguarding the Nation’s future 1959-1965
- 1965 Securing the new Nation 1965-1983
- 1983 Partnering the community in the fight against crime 1983 - 2001
- 2001 Developing new capabilities for a new era 2001 - Present
Our Origins
Policing in Singapore can trace its origins to soon after Sir Stamford Raffles established a trading post in Singapore. Recognising the need for law and order in the booming immigrant town, Major-General William Farquhar, the first British Resident of colonial Singapore, established the police department in 1820. He appointed his son-in-law, Francis James Bernard as the Police Assistant leading a 12-man team including a writer, jailor, jemadar (sergeant), and eight peada (constables) to enforce law and order in the fledgling settlement. The first police office was built near the Singapore River in December 1820.
© Charles Dyce, The River from Monkey Bridge. c. 1847 , Singapore: A Pictorial History, 1819 – 2000 by Gretchen Liu, Editions Didier Millet Pte Ltd, p. 30.