Ground commander could have done more to deter rioting crowd: COI

[BuiKia]

The ground commander who decided to "hold the ground" at the start of the Little India riot was on Tuesday told by the Committee of Inquiry (COI) that he "could have done more" to deter the crowd.

On day nine of the hearing, the committee grilled the commander of Tanglin Police Division, deputy assistant commissioner (DAC) Lu Yeow Lim on his decision -- for his group of Tanglin police officers to wait half an hour for their Special Operations Command colleagues to turn up at the scene of the riot, before taking any action.

The COI said the move could have emboldened the crowd and worsened the situation.

But DAC Lu told the committee he decided to "hold the ground" in a defensive position behind shields, as he and his eight other officers were outnumbered.

DAC Lu said there were about 150 rioters around them.

He told the committee he drove from home in plain clothes to the scene, right after he was informed of the incident.

He reached the junction of Hampshire Road and Race Course Road at about 10.06pm.

But DAC Lu could not find out the number of officers on the ground, as the communications network was “jammed”.

He also added that he and his officers were surrounded by rioters who were pelting projectiles at them non-stop.

Based on his assessment, DAC Lu said it was best he and his men stayed where they were, as he had reason to believe the crowd would close in on them, if they left their shields.

But the committee said the half hour of inaction would lead the crowd to believe it is “free play” for them.

Committee member John De Payva, a former labour chief, pointed out that DAC Lu -- who was not in police uniform -- could have walked to other parts of the riot scene to find out more about the situation, including determining the number of officers on the ground.

But DAC Lu said he had been struck by projectiles twice and the crowd had targeted him.

He also added that, according to police procedures, commanders should not be involved in the heat of action and lose focus of command and control.

Committee chairman G Pannir Selvam started the session ton Tuesday by reminding DAC Lu that the purpose of the hearing is to find facts, rather than prosecute or persecute individuals.

 

[chonburifc]

He also added that, according to police procedures, commanders should not be involved in the heat of action and lose focus of command and control..

This summarise everything. self admission, poodle commanders is to relax in office, give orders to men to risk their lives.

 

[halsey02]

What is being said, In others words, "Committee chairman G Pannir Selvam started the session ton Tuesday by reminding DAC Lu that the purpose of the hearing is to find facts, rather than prosecute or persecute individuals."; those involve will still get their medals, bonus, increment, plus additional payment for the trauma of facing hostile drunken Indians & still get that, individually packed Mango Cake...

It is your fault, for underpaying the Indians....plus the rioters, gets free ice creams & sympathy...you SINgaporeans in the same situation...what will you get??

 

[BuiKia]

It was undoubtedly the most adversarial session the Committee of Inquiry (COI) has had since it started its hearings last Wednesday into the Little India riot.

On the stand for four hours on Tuesday, 4 March, was Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) of Police, Lu Yeow Lim, the ground commander of police forces on 8 December 2013 as the riot in Race Course Road unfolded.

The 4-men COI, led by former judge GP Selvam, launched into an attack on the slate of decisions made by DAC Lu that night which, the COI said, “made the problem worse.”

Ironically, at the start of Tuesday’s hearing, Mr Selvam told DAC Lu that the inquiry was not looking to “persecute, prosecute and punish him.” But things soon took a confrontational turn as the COI members, especially Selvam, and former police commissioner, Tee Tua Ba, tore into DAC Lu’s containment strategy that night.

Returning to the questions which they had asked other officers who had taken the stand, the COI focused on whether the police’s inaction towards the riot and rioters themselves contributed to the escalation of violence.

DAC Lu had commanded his forces to “hold the line” and wait for the arrival of special operations command (SOC). This was even as the rioters overturned cars and set police vehicles and ambulances on fire.

The COI questioned why DAC Lu had not done more to stop the rioters, or at least to display a show of force to deter the violence.

“Let me ask you again,” Mr Tee said. “At the time you arrived, the record says 130 men were on the ground.”

DAC Lu replied that that was not accurate. He explained that although there were more than 100 officers on the ground at the time before the SOC arrived, only 47 were actively involved in dealing with the riot.

And because these officers were scattered across an area the size of “three football fields”, it was difficult for him to command them. The failure or breakdown of radio communications also added to the problem.

DAC Lu said the number of officers who were by his side was 11, and only eight of these were armed with revolvers and T-batons. He said it would thus be folly for him “to lead his only reserves” to find out what was happening as it may make the situation worse.

DAC Lu decided to stay put, to “hold the line” at Hampshire Road, a street away from the unrest which was taking place mainly around Tekka Lane where the bus accident which killed Indian national, Sakthivel Kumaravelu, had occurred.

Police doctrine did not allow commanders to go into the heart of a battle, DAC Lu said.

But Mr Selvam told him, “Nobody is asking you to go into the centre of action. We are asking you to go around the periphery. You, admittedly, stayed put where you were in a protected place and did nothing.

“You didn’t know what was happening and didn’t bother to find out.”

Mr Tee too was having none of DAC Lu’s explanations.

Mr Tee cited earlier testimonies of police officers who had taken on the rioters directly, even when they are alone, such as Traffic Police officer, Sergeant Fadli Shaifuddin Mohamed Sani, who had charged into a crowd of about 50 rioters that night and caused them to disperse.

Senior State Counsel, David Khoo, also highlighted how Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Johnathan Tang, who was the most senior police officer before DAC Lu arrived on the scene, had been able to walk the ground commanding the other officers to carry out certain tasks.

It was also pointed out to DAC Lu that Deputy Superintendent Lim Sin Bin, commander of the first SOC troop to arrive on the scene, had walked to meet DAC Lu with just six men.

DAC Lu did not do any of this but was instead protected behind a shield of policemen at Hampshire Road.

“I considered stepping out of the shield,” DAC Lu said, “but was constantly being pelted.” Although he was not in uniform, he said the rioters nonetheless knew who he was. “That was my assumption after being struck twice,” DAC Lu told the COI, “and I knew they were targeting me. If I was knocked out, there would be a command gap.”

But COI member, John De Payva, pointed out to him that although ASP Tang was in police uniform, “he could walk around (gathering information). You were not wearing your uniform. You were in disguise, you were in plainclothes.”

And this was also another issue the COI took with the Deputy Assistant Commissioner – that he had not put on his uniform that night when he went down to the scene.

DAC Lu said he received news of the riot while he was in his home in Balestier. He said he wanted to get to the scene as soon as he could, and thus did not put on his uniform.

“My priority was to go to the scene,” he said. “It was important to be on the ground as soon as possible.”

However, Mr Selvam questioned if this was wise, as the uniform is a “symbol of authority” and without wearing it, officers on the ground might not be able to identify him as an authority figure.

“A uniform is important if you have to command forces which include men of other divisions,” Mr Tee said.

DAC Lu disagreed that not wearing his uniform would impede his ability to command the troops. He also said he did not want to “waste precious time” changing into uniform.

The most scathing criticisms from the COI members, however, were focused on the strategic decisions DAC Lu made that night, particularly on his decision for his troops to “hold the line”, and his situational awareness of the incident as it unfolded and escalated.

For example, the COI grilled him on why he did not know how many men he had that night. DAC Lu said he had tried to ask the officers around him on the number of officers on the ground then, but they did not know. And as communications lines were down as well, it was difficult for him to establish this. “The truth is I did not know how many men I had that night,” DAC Lu admitted. This was also why he did not take action against the rioters.

“You did not know (the situation on the ground) because you chose not to know,” Mr Selvam said.

“So whose fault is it,” asked Mr Tee. “Was it your failure or the system’s failure?”

“I’m not in a position to make that judgement,” DAC Lu replied. “The reality that night was that we had eight (armed officers).”

But Mr Tee pressed him further, and asked why he did not take action for almost 30 minutes before the SOC arrived.

“You had almost half an hour before the arrival of the SOC,” Mr Tee told him.

DAC Lu shot back, “It was not a case where I was drinking coffee at that junction. I was gathering info about my people, trying to get the operations room, trying to estimate the number of rioters and their intent, and was in contact with the combined operation room to find out about the SOC troops.”

He decided to “hold the line” because he said his “objective then was to not let the riot escalate.”

But he was castigated by Mr Tee for this decision which, as he and Mr Selvam had pointed out in earlier sessions of the hearings, had possibly emboldened the rioters and allowed them free rein to do as they pleased. Mr Selvam had earlier described this decision as “poor judgement, wrong decision.”

“Look from the perspective of the rioters,” Mr Tee told DAC Lu. “(When they see) each car being overturned and the police are still not moving, the impression the rioters have is you are not going to do anything.

Mr Selvam told DAC Lu that the COI did not accept that he could do nothing until the SOC arrived.

Mr Tee said, “We believe you read the crowd wrongly.”

But DAC Lu said unlike the COI, he did not have the benefit of hindsight.

“I read the crowd based on what I saw that night,” he said. “Everything I saw suggested that the crowd would retaliate.”

Referring to the COI’s citation of Sergeant Fadli’s action in charging into the crowd and dispersing them, DAC Lu said, “If the intention was to quell the riot and bring justice, to be as brave as that single officer, what would be the point? He did not make any arrests.”

Mr Tee, raising his voice, said, “It shows that police are taking active action to assert control! We heard (Sgt Faldi) say ‘you don’t need hundreds to disperse a crowd of hundreds.”

He added, “Some of (what had happened) you conveniently say you don’t know, but what action have you taken about it? You must at least show that you are asserting control. The public is looking. What impression they have is from the perspective of the rioters, and if no police actively arrest them, they’ll say (the rioters) had free play.”

The COI told DAC Lu that he “held the ground at (the) wrong place”, referring to his position at Hampshire Road. But DAC Lu defended this by saying that if he had retreated from there, the riot would have spilled into other areas.

Moving from his position would mean they would get surrounded by the rioters, as there were two crowds of about 150 people at the time in Race Course Road and Hampshire road.

But COI chairman Selvam rebutted this.

“It was meaningless to hold your ground there because the real action was flowing in and out of Kerbau Road.”

Mr Tee asked, “Are you really minimising or escalating the situation when you tell (your men) to hold the line? You, in fact, made the problem worse.”

 

[Hans168]

Datz the result of spoiling the police elites....... most of them pre-occupied with adultery in office n outside. Ng boon gay. Peter Lim + a lot not caught.
This bloke shud be demoted............ or sent to run prisons
This nation rewards well but also must punish with same vigour

 

[Hans168]

What is being said, In others words, "Committee chairman G Pannir Selvam started the session ton Tuesday by reminding DAC Lu that the purpose of the hearing is to find facts, rather than prosecute or persecute individuals."; those involve will still get their medals, bonus, increment, plus additional payment for the trauma of facing hostile drunken Indians & still get that, individually packed Mango Cake...

It is your fault, for underpaying the Indians....plus the rioters, gets free ice creams & sympathy...you SINgaporeans in the same situation...what will you get??

LOTS of carrots but NO stick when a whip wud be appropriate!!!!!!!!!!

 

[oratedar]

Commander Lu claims that there are 150 rioters. So how many got caught? Less than50. Meaning more than 100 go scot free

 

[Semaj2357]

“I considered stepping out of the shield,” DAC Lu said, “but was constantly being pelted.” Although he was not in uniform, he said the rioters nonetheless knew who he was. “That was my assumption after being struck twice,” DAC Lu told the COI, “and I knew they were targeting me. If I was knocked out, there would be a command gap.”

fer fuck's sake...ahneh won't know who the cock you are, save that you were standing with the uniformed poodles and everyone in the group was fair game to be pelted. the coi should've asked him whether his cbbin had dac or comdr echo div stamped on his (cock) head

 

[Equalisation]

More ? You want more ?

 

[GoldenDragon]

fer fuck's sake...ahneh won't know who the cock you are, save that you were standing with the uniformed poodles and everyone in the group was fair game to be pelted. the coi should've asked him whether his cbbin had dac or comdr echo div stamped on his (cock) head

Given his height and size, no reason to believe comdr arrived.

 

[Scrooball (clone)]

Bullied kid grows up to be top cop

By Chai Hung Yin
The New Paper
Friday, Jun 29, 2012
Bullied as a child, he grew up with a strong sense of justice. There could be other victims like him, he thought, and he vowed to become a policeman to help those who couldn't help themselves.

Now the commander of Tanglin Police Division, he is driven to nab criminals and has identified areas where he and his officers can make a difference.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police (DAC) Lu Yeow Lim took command of Tanglin about two weeks ago from Assistant Commissioner of Police Koh Yak Leng.

Explaining further why he chose to become a police officer, he said: "At least for some of us, it's this sense of justice. We are angry because somebody has been victimised.

"You feel the need to right the wrong. And it goes beyond passion. It is anger. You really want to get the perpetrator and bring him to justice."

And sometimes, police officers get hurt in the process.Ten years ago, while making an arrest, he was hit by chairs and suffered a bruise on his head.

Under Tanglin

DAC Lu's division covers residential areas from Bishan to Bukit Timah, the shopping belt of Orchard Road, embassies and consulates in the Tanglin area and more than 500 entertainment outlets.

That means his officers have to deal with issues like theft in the shopping belt, thwarting potential terrorist attacks on the embassies and dealing with drunks at Clarke Quay.

Clarke Quay is an area of concern for him as there have been more cases of drunks molesting women and getting into fights.

DAC Lu said: "As Clarke Quay becomes more and more attractive, you see more and more people going in. We are seeing more cases of alcohol-induced cases, be it outraging of modesty or fights."

"A drunk is arrested every other day. And in about 20 per cent of these cases, a police officer is assaulted."

Said DAC Lu: "20 per cent is not a small number because if you arrest 100 people, you get whacked 20 times."

Commanding officer of Orchard Neighbourhood Police Centre, Superintendent Lee Kok Pin, said police officers get assaulted once every two weeks.

He said: "The guys punch our officers while the ladies bite. Because they are drunk, sometimes they become disorderly."

DAC Lu said the offenders often can't remember hitting anyone when they're charged in court.

He recalled a case when a taxi driver didn't want to be accused of stealing a sleeping drunk's belongings, so he drove the passenger to the nearest police station.

When police officers tried to wake the man, he attacked them.

Said DAC Lu: "For some reason, when people are drunk, they get really angry when you wake them up."

He said the police engage operators of entertainment outlets to ensure they sell alcohol responsibly and step in early to prevent conflict among customers.

Tackling terrorism

When it comes to countering terrorism, there's absolutely no room for any mistakes, he said.

"They (terrorists) just have to be lucky once. We have to get lucky all the time." As for shoplifting at Orchard Road, he said groups of foreigners have come to Singapore just to steal luxury goods from high-end boutiques.

This is especially so during the Great Singapore Sale when human traffic is high. This reduces their risk of being caught.

They catch two such professional syndicates a year.

"They actually have a shopping list. So they come in prepared," said Supt Lee.

Last year, they arrested a group of nine Vietnamese who stole expensive clothing, bags and wallets from the Orchard Road area.

DAC Lu said they would fan out to steal, then meet an accomplicewho would wait at an agreed place with a big suitcase to store the loot.

Said DAC Lu: "The guy is like the storeroom."

While the overall crime rate in Tanglin has dropped in the last two years, DAC Lu said: "One crime is one too many."

[email protected]

This article was first published in The New Paper.

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest...ry20120629-356244/3.html#sthash.lv96k8Q5.dpuf

 

[Brightkid]

Don't say ah nehs who spent everyday slogging their hides out don't know him, even I shaking legs at home do not know who the heck he is even if he intro himself to me!

Who does he think he is?

 

[Semaj2357]

Given his height and size, no reason to believe comdr arrived.

true, the ahnehs would've thought that he was the bus driver in question taking refuge as other ahnehs would not have known that the actual driver was still inside the bus and shielded by butch tiffany. on the other hand, ah nehs targeted him coz poodles were giving him proper salutes (longest way up, shortest way down), prostrating before him - screaming hail to the chief, or just giving him high-fives

 

[Seee3]

From the way the coi proceeds, they seems to have identified the scapegoat. He will shoulder all the blames although many others above him are equally responsible. If your ground commander can't act and is lost, the next in command should direct him instead of waiting for him to do something. Who is next in command for operation of such scale? D Op? So if this chap also no action, I thought the commissioner himself should intervene. Or are they thinking that they are too high or too big to take over command because the sop stated so.

 

[GoldenDragon]

From the way the coi proceeds, they seems to have identified the scapegoat. He will shoulder all the blames although many others above him are equally responsible. If your ground commander can't act and is lost, the next in command should direct him instead of waiting for him to do something. Who is next in command for operation of such scale? D Op? So if this chap also no action, I thought the commissioner himself should intervene. Or are they thinking that they are too high or too big to take over command because the sop stated so.

Ag D Ops will shoulder part of the blame for slight delay in activating SOC. And yes, Comdr Tanglin will shoulder the rest.

 

[enterprise2]

If any innocent people got hurt or died as a result of police 'holding their ground' - how to answer?? Bunch of incompetent cowards!!

 

[GoldenDragon]

true, the ahnehs would've thought that he was the bus driver in question taking refuge as other ahnehs would not have known that the actual driver was still inside the bus and shielded by butch tiffany. on the other hand, ah nehs targeted him coz poodles were giving him proper salutes (longest way up, shortest way down), prostrating before him - screaming hail to the chief, or just giving him high-fives

Very true. I can imagine all the salutes!

 

[GoldenDragon]

If any innocent people got hurt or died as a result of police 'holding their ground' - how to answer?? Bunch of incompetent cowards!!

Agree. Their strategy and comments would be different then.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

that keling will have to shoulder the blame

 

[Seee3]

Ag D Ops will shoulder part of the blame for slight delay in activating SOC. And yes, Comdr Tanglin will shoulder the rest.

The issue is not the delay activation of soc but rather the inaction of the officers on the ground in the interim period when vehicles were overturned and burnt. The grd cmdr did nothing and receive no order from higher command to do anything. Then come coi and with advantage of hindsight everybody felt that he should have done something. Were his superior having the same thought as the coi at that moment or were they equally lost? If at the time when vehicles were burnt and they do share the same thought as the coi, they should have ordered him to gather his men and repel the crowd. Otherwise, it appears that the responsibility of acting correctly stop at the grd cmdr.