SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) responded to a simulated terrorist attack inside the State Courts in the first counter-terrorism exercise there on Thursday (Dec 7).
SPF said in a news release that the exercise, which took place at about noon, started with the scenario of two gunmen walking into the State Courts entrance and opening fire at the crowd.
Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) and State Courts staff contained the situation first, the police said.
Officers from the Emergency Response Team and Bukit Merah East Neighbourhood Police Centre responded within minutes and coordinated their response with the APOs and State Courts staff to locate and take down the “gunmen”, they added.
The counter-terrorism exercise was the first at the State Courts. (Photo: SPF)
Police officers responding to a mock scenario involving gunmen inside the State Courts. (Photo: SPF)
“The Singapore Police Force urges all premise owners to review their response plan and exercise their staff to enhance their readiness to deal with an attack,” it added in the news release.
A spokesperson from the State Courts said that it believes it is “important to prepare our people for such possible attacks”.
Its partnership with SPF on the exercise is to help raise the level of awareness and vigilance of staff and coordinate the response plans of court security, police and other stakeholders, the spokesperson added.
