SINGAPORE: With a massive crowd expected to flock to the Marina Bay area on New Year’s Eve, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is not taking any chances in keeping Singapore safe during the celebrations.
Last year, organisers estimated that between 400,000 and 500,000 people thronged the area.
With several countdown events being held simultaneously at the Marina Bay area and the Civic District this year, crowd management measures are all the more critical.
READ: Hour-long show with fireworks for Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2019
In all, 700 police officers – similar to last year – will be deployed to maintain order.
These include specialist officers from the Emergency Response Teams, In-Situ Reaction Teams and Special Operations Command, who will conduct high-visibility patrols at pre-identified locations with either high foot traffic or large congregations.
A total of 700 police officers – similar to last year – will be deployed to maintain order. (Photo: Cheryl Goh)
“We have not allocated more officers per se, but we’re working more closely with the event organisers to put in more measures,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Gregory Tan, who oversees the Central Division.
“So that will mean that we’ll have a better handle on the public areas which people are allowed to gather at. We’ll be able to respond quickly and efficiently,” Mr Tan said.
“We’re looking at achieving a higher level of effectiveness with the same amount of officers or even fewer than previous years,” he added.
Meanwhile, with the Infrastructure Protection Act that came into force on Dec 18, the public needs to respect any enforcement action by authorities.
This act gives security personnel powers to deal with threats in areas surrounding Singapore’s critical infrastructure and iconic buildings, such as Marina Bay Sands.
“The Act has provisions for special powers that allow the police and even auxiliary police to do random bag checks when required, and also to eject people who are deemed to be suspicious or who are perhaps behaving in a way that’s not in compliance with regulations for the greater public interest,” said security consultant Dr Graham Ong-Webb.
“When this happens, members of the public of course have to accommodate this and be understanding.”
The police will also deploy an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to be their eyes in the sky, as part of efforts to leverage technology to support officers during major operations.
READ: New drones, command vehicles to help police fight crime better
The UAV can travel at 20m per second, and will rove over the Marina Bay area.
The drone, which was trialed last year, has a high-definition camera that can capture and transmit pictures of the ground to the police command post.
It also has blinkers, search lights and an audio warning system to allow the police to communicate with the public if necessary.
The police will also install more than 20km of yellow fences and barricades to direct both human and vehicular traffic in the area.
Nine hundred tonnes of concrete blocks will also be set up to deter and block potential hostile vehicles.
The police will install more than 20km of yellow fences and barricades to direct both human and vehicular traffic in the area. (Photo: Cheryl Goh)
Meanwhile, event organisers of the Marina Bay Carnival are also gearing up for a peak crowd on New Year’s Eve.
The carnival site, located next to Marina Bay Sands, can accommodate between 6,000 and 7,000 people at any one time, but organisers expect close to 50,000 people to pass through throughout the day.
READ: 7 things to look out for at the 2018 Prudential Marina Bay Carnival
Lead of the carnival’s organising team Barnabas Chia spoke of measures including bag checks, designated exit and entry points and strict crowd control.
“For this year, we’ve brought in more rides and more games, and these are higher capacity rides and games and these can help to spread the crowd more evenly throughout the entire site,” he said.
“We’ll have site monitors on both sides, at the entrance and at the exit, and for every five people that leave, we’ll let five people in.”
They advise visitors to bring smaller bags to the event so they can clear the security bag check at the entrance more quickly. Plainclothes security personnel will also conduct random bag checks within the carnival grounds.
