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Police Force Act 2004

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act relating to the Singapore Police Force and to provide for its organisation and discipline and other related matters.

[12 October 2004]

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Short title

1. This Act is the Police Force Act 2004.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“accoutrement” includes surveillance equipment capable of being worn on the body for the purpose of recording a view of, or recording a conversation between, the wearer and another individual;

“arms” includes firearm;

“arrangement” includes any formal or informal scheme, arrangement or understanding, and any trust whether express or implied;

“Auxiliary Police Force” means any force created under Part 9;

“Auxiliary Police Forces Regulations” means regulations made under section 104;

“auxiliary police officer” means a person appointed as such under Part 9;

“civilian police assistant” means an individual who is appointed under section 65C as a civilian police assistant;

“commanding officer” means any police officer not below the rank of Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police, the Commander, Training Command or any police officer lawfully acting in any of these appointments;

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Police appointed under section 6(1);

“committee of inquiry” means a committee of inquiry established under Part 4;

“constable” means a police officer below the rank of corporal;

[Act 21 of 2021 wef 01/01/2022]

“Deputy Commissioner”, in relation to any provision in this Act or its subsidiary legislation, or in the Police General Orders, Force Orders or Standing Orders, means the Deputy Commissioner of Police designated by the Commissioner for the purposes of that provision;

“detention barrack” means any building or part thereof set aside by the Commissioner for the purpose of persons serving any sentence of detention under this Act;

“disciplinary offence” means a service offence specified in the Schedule;

“disciplinary officer” means —

(a)	in relation to a police officer, a commanding officer or any other officer authorised by a commanding officer to conduct disciplinary proceedings under Part 3 in relation to disciplinary offences committed by police officers below the rank of inspector; and
(b)	in relation to a special police officer, the relevant disciplinary officer specified in section 81(1) or 82(1), as the case may be;

“emoluments” includes gross salary, the annual variable component, allowances (whether monthly, annual or otherwise), bonuses and other benefits but not performance bonuses;

“forensic specialist” means an individual who is appointed under section 65A as a forensic specialist;

“inspector” means an inspector of police of whatever grade from and including a chief inspector down to and including a probationary inspector;

“law enforcement” means —

(a)	activities carried on by any police officer or law enforcement officer in the exercise of any function, power or duty of such an officer in accordance with law with respect to the commission of offences; or
(b)	activities carried on by any police officer or law enforcement officer for the purpose of dealing with terrorism, civil unrest or public disorder;

“law enforcement agency” means —

(a)	the Central Narcotics Bureau;
(b)	the Internal Security Department; or
(c)	any similar department or office of the Government prescribed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette;

“law enforcement officer” means —

(a)	a narcotics officer appointed to the Narcotics Service;
(b)	an intelligence officer; or
(c)	a public officer holding a post, or seconded to serve, in a law enforcement agency;

“lost property” means any movable property or cash that has been lost and whose owner is unknown at the time at which it is found;

“national serviceman” means a person who has been directed to present himself for enlistment in the Police Force under the provisions of any written law for the time being in force relating to national service or enlistment;

“non-police personnel performing duties in the Police Force” means a public officer or any other individual, either of whom is not a police officer but is performing duties in the Police Force under —

(a)	a posting; or
(b)	a secondment arrangement making available temporarily to the Police Force the services of such public officer or individual; [Act 21 of 2021 wef 01/01/2022]

“owner”, in relation to property or cash, means the person who is entitled to possession of the property or cash;

“Police Force” means the Singapore Police Force established under the repealed Act and continued by this Act;

“police officer” means any member of the Police Force and includes a temporary constable;

“Police Regulations” means regulations made under section 117;

“Public Service Commission” means the Public Service Commission established under the Constitution;

“repealed Act” means the Police Force Act (Cap. 235, 1985 Revised Edition) repealed by this Act;

“security activity” includes any one or more of the following activities:

(a)	using or bearing arms while acting as a bodyguard or crowd controller;
(b)	using or bearing arms while patrolling, protecting, watching or guarding any property (including cash in transit);
(c)	such activity, or class of activities, that requires the use or bearing of arms and is connected with security or the protection of persons or property as is prescribed in the Auxiliary Police Forces Regulations;
(d)	the detention or arrest of individuals that police officers or law enforcement officers are authorised under written law to apprehend;
(e)	employing or providing persons to carry on any activity referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c);

“senior police officer” means a police officer of all ranks from and including the Commissioner down to and including an inspector;

“service offence” means —

(a)	in relation to a police officer, an offence punishable under Part 3; and
(b)	in relation to a special police officer, an offence punishable under Part 8;

“share” includes stock except where a distinction between stock and share is expressed or implied;

“Special Constabulary Regulations” means regulations made under section 85;

“special police officer” means a member of the Special Constabulary constituted under Part 8;

“substantial shareholder” has the meaning given by the Auxiliary Police Forces Regulations;

“unclaimed property” means any lost property that has been in the custody of the Police Force for the period specified in section 108(2) and in relation to which —

(a)	there is no person who appears, to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, to be the owner of the lost property;
(b)	there is such a person but that person has not been located after reasonable inquiry; or
(c)	there is such a person but that person has not exercised his or her right to recover the lost property;

“volunteer ex‑NSman” means a special police officer enrolled under section 68 as a volunteer ex‑NSman;

“voting share” has the meaning given by section 4(1) of the Companies Act 1967.

[10/2015]

(2) In this Act and any regulations made thereunder, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to any rank of police officer or special police officer includes a reference to a police officer or special police officer appointed to that rank on a probationary basis.