Wearing and possession of police uniforms, etc., by others
120A.—(1)  A person who, when the person is not a police officer —
(a)wears or possesses any police uniform, or uses any police insignia —
(i)for the purpose of personating or representing himself as a police officer; or
(ii)knowing that is likely to cause any member of the public to believe that he is a police officer;
(b)uses the designation of a police officer or a rank of the Police Force or the Special Constabulary, in connection with any business, occupation or employment —
(i)for the purpose of personating or representing himself as a police officer; or
(ii)knowing that is likely to cause any member of the public to believe that he is a police officer;
(c)represents himself, by word or conduct, to be a police officer for the purpose of personating or representing himself as a police officer; or
(d)wears or possesses any police uniform, or uses any police insignia, in connection with any business, occupation or employment, for the purpose of falsely claiming, suggesting or implying —
(i)that the person holds a licence from the Commissioner referred to in subsection (4)(a);
(ii)that the person receives or is to receive, a fee, commission or other reward for providing professional or other services in relation to a matter being dealt with or to be dealt with by the Police Force or the Special Constabulary;
(iii)that the Police Force or the Special Constabulary has agreed to acquire any goods or services provided by or on behalf of the person, or that those goods or services had previously been used or acquired by the Police Force or the Special Constabulary; or
(iv)that the person has the sponsorship or approval of the Police Force or the Special Constabulary for any goods or services provided by or on behalf of the person,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(2)  A police officer who wears a police uniform or uses any police insignia otherwise than in the course of, and for the purpose of, exercising the functions of a police officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(3)  It shall be a defence to a prosecution for an offence under subsection (1)(a) or (2) if the accused proves, on a balance of probabilities, that —
(a)the accused had the express permission of the Commissioner to wear or possess the police uniform or use the police insignia, as the case may be; or
(b)the accused wore or possessed the police uniform or used the police insignia (as the case may be) for the purposes of a public entertainment provided in compliance with the Public Entertainments Act (Cap. 257).
[Act 28 of 2017 wef 01/08/2017]
(4)  A person (whether or not a police officer) who —
(a)manufactures or sells any police uniform or police insignia otherwise than in accordance with a licence granted to the person by the Commissioner;
(b)sells any police uniform or police insignia to a person who is neither a police officer nor otherwise authorised or permitted under subsection (2) to possess or wear the police uniform or use the police insignia; or
(c)gives or furnishes, whether or not for a consideration, any police uniform or police insignia to a person who is neither a police officer nor otherwise authorised or permitted under subsection (3) to possess or wear the police uniform or use the police insignia,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both.
(5)  It is a defence to any prosecution for an offence under subsection (4) if the accused proves, on the balance of probabilities, that —
(a)the accused had reasonable grounds to believe and did make reasonable inquiries to ascertain that the person to whom the police uniform or police insignia was sold, given or furnished was —
(i)a police officer; or
(ii)a person otherwise authorised or permitted under subsection (3) to possess or wear the police uniform or use the police insignia; or
(b)the accused had received from the person to whom the police uniform or police insignia was sold, given or furnished evidence purporting to show that —
(i)that person was a police officer or was otherwise authorised or permitted under subsection (2) to possess or wear the police uniform or use the police insignia; and
(ii)it was reasonable to and he did accept that evidence as correct.
(6)  An offence under subsection (1), (2) or (3) is an arrestable offence.
(7)  In this section —
“police insignia” means —
(a)any items (being insignia, emblems, logos, symbols, representation, devices, badges of rank or other things) that are generally recognised as pertaining to the Police Force or the Special Constabulary or as being used by police officers;
(b)any parts of any such items;
(c)any reasonable imitation of any such items, or parts of such items; or
(d)any insignia, emblems, logos, symbols, representation, devices, badges of rank or other things prescribed by Police Regulations as being within this definition;
“police officer” includes a special police officer;
“police uniform” means the uniform of a police officer, and includes —
(a)any parts of such a uniform or any accoutrements of a police officer that are generally recognised as parts of the uniform or accoutrements of a police officer; or
(b)any reasonable imitations of such a uniform or accoutrements, or parts of a uniform or accoutrements;
“sell” means sell, exchange or let on hire, and includes —
(a)offer, expose, possess, send, forward or deliver for sale, exchange or hire; or
(b)cause, suffer or allow any sale, exchange or hire;
“use”, in relation to police insignia, includes —
(a)driving on a public road a vehicle that has on it any police insignia; and
(b)using a reproduction or representation of police insignia,
but does not include wearing a police uniform.
[Act 10 of 2015 wef 01/06/2015]