Division 1 — Duties of police officers
Oath of office
19.  Every police officer shall, before entering on the duties of his office, take an oath of office and oath of allegiance prescribed by the Oaths and Declarations Act (Cap. 211) in such manner as may be prescribed in the Police Regulations.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., s. 23]
Liability of police officers to serve
20.  All police officers shall be bound to serve in any part of Singapore or on board any vessel or aircraft in the service of the Government, or to proceed to and serve outside Singapore as provided in Part V.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., s. 6]
Police officers to obey lawful orders
21.—(1)  Every police officer shall —
(a)obey all lawful orders, whether given verbally or in writing; and
(b)obey and conform to the Police Regulations, the Police General Orders, any Force Orders and any Standing Orders made under this Act.
(2)  In particular, a police officer is required —
(a)to serve wherever he is lawfully ordered; and
(b)to perform such police duties as may be lawfully ordered.
(3)  All powers granted to and duties imposed by any written law on any police officer shall be exercised or performed in accordance with the Police Regulations, the Police General Orders, any Force Orders and any Standing Orders made under this Act.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., ss. 5 and 26]
Police officer to be armed
22.  Every police officer shall be provided with such arms, ammunition and other accoutrements as may be necessary for the effectual discharge of his duties.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., s. 15]
Police officer to be deemed on duty
23.  Every police officer shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be always on duty when required to act as such and shall perform the duties and exercise the powers granted to him under this Act or any other written law at any time and every place where he may be doing duty.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., s. 14]
Police officer not exempted from ordinary process of law
24.—(1)  Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to prevent the prosecution, conviction and punishment of any police officer according to the provisions of any other written law for the time being in force in Singapore.
(2)  No person who has been acquitted by a court of any offence shall be tried on the same charge under this Act.
(3)  A sentence upon a police officer shall not be affected by such person ceasing to be a police officer by discharge or otherwise.
(4)  No pay shall accrue to any police officer in respect of any period during which he is undergoing any sentence of imprisonment.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., s. 36]
Non-liability for act done under authority of warrant
25.—(1)  Where the defence to any suit instituted against a police officer is that the act complained of was done in obedience to a warrant purporting to be issued by any competent authority, the court shall, upon production of the warrant containing the signature of such authority and upon proof that the act complained of was done in obedience to such warrant, enter judgment in favour of such police officer.
(2)  No proof of the signature of such authority shall be required unless the court has reason to doubt the genuineness thereof.
(3)  Where it is proved that the signature on a warrant card is not genuine, judgment shall nevertheless be given in favour of such police officer if it is proved that, at the time when the act complained of was committed, the police officer believed on reasonable grounds that such signature was genuine.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., s. 37]
(4)  Where this section provides to a police officer relief from liability, the section shall also extend to apply to a forensic specialist assisting that police officer in the course of his duty as a forensic specialist in accordance with section 65B.
[Act 10 of 2015 wef 01/06/2015]
Road barriers
26.—(1)  Notwithstanding any other law in force in Singapore, any police officer may, if he considers it necessary to do so for the maintenance and preservation of law and order or for the prevention or detection of crime —
(a)erect or place barriers in or across any public road or street or in any public place in such manner as he may think fit; and
(b)take all reasonable steps to prevent any vehicle being driven or ridden past any such barrier.
(2)  Any driver or rider of any vehicle who fails to comply with the signal of a police officer requiring such person to stop the vehicle before reaching any barrier erected or placed under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
[Act 10 of 2015 wef 01/06/2015]
(3)  Any police officer may, without warrant, arrest —
(a)any driver or rider of any vehicle who fails to comply with the signal of a police officer requiring such person to stop the vehicle before reaching any barrier erected or placed under subsection (1); or
(b)any driver or rider of any vehicle referred to in paragraph (a) —
(i)who refuses to give his name and a place of address within Singapore when required by the police officer; or
(ii)whom the police officer has reason to believe has furnished any false or misleading information about the driver’s or rider’s name or address in Singapore.
(4)  No police officer shall be liable for any loss or damage to any vehicle, or for any injury to the driver or rider or any other occupant of the vehicle, as a result of the driver or rider of the vehicle failing to obey any police officer acting under this section.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., s. 39]
Application of sections 26B, 26C and 26D in attempted suicide cases
26A.—(1)  Sections 26B, 26C and 26D apply only where a police officer reasonably suspects that a person is about to or has attempted to commit suicide and where the powers under those sections are reasonably necessary for any of the following purposes:
(a)preventing personal injury, hurt or death to any person;
(b)facilitating an inquiry within the meaning of section 2 of the Coroners Act (Cap. 63A) if death is caused either to the person who attempted suicide or any other person;
(c)preserving evidence for the purpose of any subsequent investigations into or proceedings in relation to any suspected arrestable offence which may be disclosed.
(2)  For the purposes of this section and sections 26B, 26C and 26D —
(a)a reference to a police officer includes a reference to —
(i)a special police officer; and
(ii)a forensic specialist acting in the course of his duty as such in accordance with the written authorisation of the Commissioner under section 65B and the lawful directions of the police officer he assists;
(b)“arrestable offence”, “court”, “financial institution”, “place”, “police station” and “property” have the same meanings as in section 2(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cap. 68).
[Act 15 of 2019 wef 01/01/2020]
Search by police officer for or of person in suicide or attempted suicide cases
26B.—(1)  A police officer may, without a search warrant —
(a)search or cause a search to be made in any place for a person if the police officer has reason to believe that the search is necessary for any purpose mentioned in section 26A(1);
(b)search a person and place in safe custody all articles other than necessary wearing apparel found upon that person if the police officer has reason to believe that the search is necessary for any purpose mentioned in section 26A(1).
(2)  The police officer in subsection (1) must, if reasonably practicable, conduct the search in person.
(3)  The provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cap. 68) relating to searches pursuant to search warrants, with the necessary modifications, apply to a search made under this section.
(4)  Where a police officer executing any search under this section demands entry or access to a place liable to search under this section, the occupier or any person in charge of the place must allow him free entry or access and provide all reasonable facilities for a search in it.
(5)  If free entry or access to that place cannot be obtained under subsection (4), it is lawful in any case for the police officer or other person executing the search to break open any outer or inner door or window of any place or to use any other reasonable means in order to gain entry or access into the place.
[Act 15 of 2019 wef 01/01/2020]
Search by police officer for document or thing in suicide or attempted suicide cases
26C.—(1)  A police officer may, without a search warrant, search or cause a search to be made for a document or other thing in any place if —
(a)the police officer considers the document or thing to be necessary for any purpose mentioned in section 26A(1);
(b)the police officer has reason to believe that the document or thing, which he considers to be necessary for any purpose mentioned in section 26A(1), is likely to be removed; or
(c)it is not known who possesses the document or thing which the police officer considers to be necessary for any purpose mentioned in section 26A(1).
(2)  The police officer in subsection (1) must, if reasonably practicable, conduct the search in person.
(3)  The provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code relating to searches pursuant to search warrants, with the necessary modifications, apply to a search made under this section.
(4)  Where a police officer executing any search under this section demands entry or access to a place liable to search under this section, the occupier or any person in charge of the place must allow the police officer free entry or access and provide all reasonable facilities for a search in it.
(5)  If free entry or access to that place cannot be obtained under subsection (4), it is lawful in any case for the police officer or other person executing the search to break open any outer or inner door or window of any place or to use any other reasonable means in order to gain entry or access into the place.
[Act 15 of 2019 wef 01/01/2020]
Powers to seize property in suicide or attempted suicide cases
26D.—(1)  A police officer may seize, or prohibit the disposal of or dealing in, any property.
(2)  If the property liable to be seized under subsection (1) is held or suspected to be held in an account or a safe deposit box in a financial institution, a police officer of or above the rank of inspector may, by written order —
(a)direct the financial institution to deliver the property to any police officer; or
(b)direct the financial institution not to allow any dealings in respect of the property in such account or safe deposit box for such period as may be specified in the order.
(3)  A police officer to whom any property has been delivered because of an order under subsection (2)(a) must, as soon as is reasonably practicable, report at a police station his receipt of the property.
(4)  A police officer may exercise the powers conferred under this section despite any provision in any other law relating to the seizure of, or the prohibition of any disposal of or dealing in, any property.
(5)  Where any property held in an account in a financial institution is subject to an order made under subsection (2)(b) —
(a)any interest or other earnings on such account, or any other payments, may be credited into such account after the date on which the written order was made; and
(b)any such interest, other earnings or payments is deemed to be subject to that same written order.
(6)  Any financial institution which contravenes an order made under subsection (2)(a) or (b) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $3,000.
(7)  A court may —
(a)subsequent to an order of a police officer made under subsection (2); and
(b)on the application of any person who is prevented from dealing with property,
order the release of such property or any part of such property.
(8)  The court may only order a release of property under subsection (7) if the court is satisfied that —
(a)such release is necessary for the payment of basic expenses, including any payment for foodstuff, rent, the discharge of a mortgage, medicine, medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums and public utility charges;
(b)such release is necessary exclusively for —
(i)the payment of reasonable professional fees and the reimbursement of any expenses incurred in connection with the provision of legal services; or
(ii)the payment of fees or service charges imposed for the routine holding or maintenance of the property which the person is prevented from dealing in;
(c)such release is necessary for the payment of any extraordinary expenses;
(d)the property is the subject of any judicial, administrative or arbitral lien or judgment, in which case the property may be used to satisfy such lien or judgment, provided that the lien or judgment arose or was entered before the order was made under subsection (2)(b); or
(e)such release is necessary, where the person is a company incorporated in Singapore, for any day-to-day operations of the company.
(9)  Part XIX (Disposal of property) of the Criminal Procedure Code applies to the disposal of any property seized under this section with the necessary modifications as if it were property seized in the exercise of any power under that Code.
[Act 15 of 2019 wef 01/01/2020]
Employment of police officers for private purposes
27.—(1)  Any person may apply to the Commissioner, in such form and manner as may be prescribed, to employ police officers for —
(a)the purpose of guarding the applicant or any other person or any property; or
(b)any other reason acceptable to the Commissioner.
(2)  The Commissioner may grant an application made under subsection (1) subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, including but not limited to the following:
(a)the applicant shall pay for the services of the police officers such amount or at such rate as may be prescribed, and if no such amount or rate is so prescribed, such amount or rate as the Commissioner thinks fit; and
(b)the number of police officers to be placed at the disposal of the applicant for such service, and the conditions of service.
(3)  The Government shall not be liable for any loss or damage to property, whether owned by the applicant or by any other person, consequent on the employment of police officers as provided in this section.
[Police Force 1985 Ed., s. 77]