Committee of Inquiry: 100 armed police ran away when faced with 25 rioters

[Rogue Trader]

"Mr Raja Kumar also noted that officers had difficulty communicating with base using their radios while phone lines were jammed with members of the public calling with information."

What the fuck does this means? Their comms were jammed and resort using handphones to relay info and orders?

Indeed. This is either a joke or a lie.

How can 999 calls from the public jam up internal comms?

 

[wendychan]

I used to know someone who served in the ang chia unit during NSF. He said that he was usually deployed for foreign worker drunken fights at construction sites. The standing order was usually to wait until the fights finish before moving in to arrest those "rioters".

It seems the situation was handled no differently on 8 Dec Little India riot. Maximum restraint my arse. The controllers used the "template" approach for drunken ah neh trouble makers that night - wait for the trouble to burn out then move in to round people up. Meanwhile police cars and ambulances burnt while the rioters who are truly guilty slipped away.

Real riot control and crowd dispersement (which ang chia unit has been training for) is only reserved for sinkies when Pap loses an election.

"wait until the fights finish before moving in to arrest those "rioters".""??????? or until someone dies?
WTFook?

 

[HTOLAS]

Thanks for the video. It suggests that the training has fallen short of reality. Here, you see the riot police lined up along a broad front to intimidate the rioters, and they are backed by a rearguard of similarly deployed ang chia ready to reinforce at any time.

If they had deployed in this way, it would probably have had the desired effects. But beside the parade squares of army and police camps, there are very few places that allow such a broad visible deployment. So, you end up with just 2 or 3 ang chia in a row, as was the case in LI, with the officers in front of them not being able to go into the practised riot formation. This can only be detrimental to their effectiveness.

I never knew water cannons or tear gas could be so deadly when used.


[video=youtube;JUuKIOWlR1A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUuKIOWlR1A[/video]

 

[TracyTan866]

Thanks for the video. It suggests that the training has fallen short of reality. Here, you see the riot police lined up along a broad front to intimidate the rioters, and they are backed by a rearguard of similarly deployed ang chia ready to reinforce at any time.

I hope that Tee Tua Bah can categorically at the COI say whether SPF is as good as before. From the layman's point, the SPF is a mickey mouse organisation

 

[palden]

Can't blame the poodles. They are only trained and equipped to deal with ball less stinkees not with hosed balled FTs. Should form a division with FTs to deal with FTs.

 

[ZorrorroZ]

I think the heads of the polis who were responsible for this fuck-up should just do the honorable thing and perform seppuku.

 

[3_M]

Thanks for the video. It suggests that the training has fallen short of reality. Here, you see the riot police lined up along a broad front to intimidate the rioters, and they are backed by a rearguard of similarly deployed ang chia ready to reinforce at any time.

If they had deployed in this way, it would probably have had the desired effects. But beside the parade squares of army and police camps, there are very few places that allow such a broad visible deployment. So, you end up with just 2 or 3 ang chia in a row, as was the case in LI, with the officers in front of them not being able to go into the practised riot formation. This can only be detrimental to their effectiveness.

[video=youtube;sbFSVh1mmiw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbFSVh1mmiw[/video]

Compare to the South Korean riot police training, ours seem like Kindergarten level.

 

[CoffeeAhSoh]

Proves one thing - real thing is so different. All the training and exercises count for nothing. In non-crisis time just to look good and pat each other on the back.

dear GoldenDragon Sir



iszzit DAC LYL 's "Decision" more serious than SAC NBG 's case ???


many thanks Sir




"Committee chairman G. Pannir Selvam told Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar - the Acting Commissioner on Dec8 - that police strategy, coordination and action that night had been found wanting."



"A decision was made by Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Lu Yeow Lim, commander of Tanglin Police Division, for officers stationed at roads around the scene to "hold the ground" and contain the rioters until Special Operations Command (SOC) troops arrived.

But Mr Selvam said this gave the mob "a good protected area" where they could destroy government property with impunity. The former Supreme Court judge also pointed out that there were over 100 police officers along Race Course Road that night and only about 25 active rioters.

Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar admitted the force had learnt lessons from the riot in Little India.

Mr Raja Kumar explained that it was "a matter of judgment" by ground DAC Lu, who had decided there were not enough officers at that point to "dominate the ground".

But the retired judge hit back: "It was poor judgment" .




http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/olice-quizzed-about-decision-hold-ground



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lim Yan Liang
The Straits Times
Monday, Feb 24, 2014

The police were accused of "poor judgment" yesterday, with the Committee of Inquiry (COI) saying the Little India rioters "had full freedom to do what they wanted".

Committee chairman G. Pannir Selvam told Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar - the Acting Commissioner on Dec8 - that police strategy, coordination and action that night had been found wanting.

A decision was made by Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Lu Yeow Lim, commander of Tanglin Police Division, for officers stationed at roads around the scene to "hold the ground" and contain the rioters until Special Operations Command (SOC) troops arrived.

But Mr Selvam said this gave the mob "a good protected area" where they could destroy government property with impunity. The former Supreme Court judge also pointed out that there were over 100 police officers along Race Course Road that night and only about 25 active rioters.

Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar admitted the force had learnt lessons from the riot in Little India.

Mr Raja Kumar explained that it was "a matter of judgment" by ground DAC Lu, who had decided there were not enough officers at that point to "dominate the ground".

But the retired judge hit back: "It was poor judgment."

He said the rioters "had full freedom to do what they wanted - namely, to burn the bus, burn the vehicles and attack you".

Police riot suppression tactics were also called into question by former police commissioner and COI member Tee Tua Ba.

Besides the lack of training to deal with public-order situations, Mr Tee said the decision to hold the ground, rather than to try to engage or arrest the rioters, showed lessons had not been learnt from three riots in northern England in 2001, where a study showed such a strategy actually emboldened rioters.

"The rioters are watching you: how you behave, how you respond, or if you stand there and wait," said Mr Tee. "They may get a perception that you are not going to do anything so it becomes even worse."

Mr Raja Kumar admitted the force had learnt lessons from the riot in Little India and put in place changes to the protocol involved in activating the SOC.



On the night of the riot, it took 12 minutes to approve the ground commander's request for the specialist troops to be activated. The first troop then took another 38 minutes to arrive at the scene due to traffic congestion.

Mr Raja Kumar also noted that officers had difficulty communicating with base using their radios while phone lines were jammed with members of the public calling with information.

The police are now "fast-tracking" the introduction of mounted cameras for officers and vehicles to improve communication with the operations centres.

Mr Raja Kumar emphasised that the first officers to reach the scene were not trained to deal with large-scale riots. While all officers were armed, they chose not to respond with force - despite being pelted with projectiles - as it was not felt to be a life-threatening situation.

"There were not just rioters, there were many curious onlookers... people having their meals around the restaurants there," he said. "If you open fire at a time like this, there could have been loss of innocent civilian life."

Saving lives was also among the priorities of the police that night. Those first on the scene were focused on shielding officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) who were trying to get Mr Sakthivel Kumaravelu onto an ambulance. The 33-year-old Indian national was killed after he was run over by a bus, sparking the riot.

The SCDF team also did the same for the bus driver and timekeeper. "The officers had a mission focus - they had certain imperatives that occupied them," said Mr Raja Kumar.

He was later asked by Mr Selvam whether harsher policing of drunkenness in Little India could have done "a lot of favours to the residents, and yourself".

Mr Raja Kumar pointed out that auxiliary officers have been empowered to deal with such issues in Little India and should revellers become disorderly, the police would be called in.

When Mr Selvam said foreigners who drink should be sent a message, Mr Raja Kumar replied: "Your Honour, we'll take that on board."


http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/olice-quizzed-about-decision-hold-ground?page=0,0

 

[3_M]

The riots in Little India was essentially drunken riffraff causing troubles and will eventually died down with no police intervention. It ridiculous for MSM and Pinky to sing praises to SPF for 'putting down' the riot without firing a single shot the following days after the riot. The whole episode only goes to show how useless our SPF are.

 

[halsey02]

FTFirst Policy

PAP's precious FT's, be careful and act with restraint.

Sinkie, just whack first.

SINgaporeans, especially if you an opposition member...what restrain?, WHACK first!..and then give excuses, that the member was violent, holding a weapon.....FT..run first! show restrain...what a.........ha ha ha ha

 

[GoldenDragon]

CoffeeAhSoh,
How to comment? NBG and LYL matter not related at all. If incident took place years ago, NBG would have to decide. He was commander Tanglin previously.

 

[HTOLAS]

Yup, it's about maintaining formation and creating depth, just like in rugby or football.

[video=youtube;sbFSVh1mmiw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbFSVh1mmiw[/video]

Compare to the South Korean riot police training, ours seem like Kindergarten level.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Many in authority pointed out that given the fact that the rioters were intoxicated, any escalation or use of firearm would only exacerbate the situation. It is worth noting, imho, that once really intoxicated, one is not a threat. Many pretend to be high to kpkb but once they feel a threat, they will be very sober. With benefit of hindsight, several rounds fired into the air could have rescued the situation and image of the SPF.

 

[TracyTan866]

Many in authority pointed out that given the fact that the rioters were intoxicated, any escalation or use of firearm would only exacerbate the situation. It is worth noting, imho, that once really intoxicated, one is not a threat. Many pretend to be high to kpkb but once they feel a threat, they will be very sober. With benefit of hindsight, several rounds fired into the air could have rescued the situation and image of the SPF.

the men in blue fled from the scene of trouble. this is a horrible dereliction of duty. the men in blue are supposed to protect lives and properties and maintain law and order.

no amount of excuses can wash them clean.

the Commissioner of Police and TCH shd be ashamed of policemen who fled.

Policemen fleeing is disgusting...It is a simple fact

I am waiting for Tee TB's findings and inputs on this

 

[laksaboy]

I hope that Tee Tua Bah can categorically at the COI say whether SPF is as good as before. From the layman's point, the SPF is a mickey mouse organisation

Now, now... don't hurt the feelings of the poodles and their supporters (some of them are on this forum).

 

[HTOLAS]

I've got no problem with the trapped officers making their way to safety in less than ceremonious ways. What really bothered me was the apparent lack of a plan to deal with the rioters once these officers were safe. That was a dereliction of duty.

the men in blue fled from the scene of trouble. this is a horrible dereliction of duty. the men in blue are supposed to protect lives and properties and maintain law and order.

no amount of excuses can wash them clean.

the Commissioner of Police and TCH shd be ashamed of policemen who fled.

Policemen fleeing is disgusting...It is a simple fact

I am waiting for Tee TB's findings and inputs on this

 

[steffychun]

Paper generals, admirals, police officers, who's next?

 

[steffychun]

Many in authority pointed out that given the fact that the rioters were intoxicated, any escalation or use of firearm would only exacerbate the situation. It is worth noting, imho, that once really intoxicated, one is not a threat. Many pretend to be high to kpkb but once they feel a threat, they will be very sober. With benefit of hindsight, several rounds fired into the air could have rescued the situation and image of the SPF.

they would have thought it is Chinese New Year.

 

[GoldenDragon]

they would have thought it is Chinese New Year.

Yes let them see red. Not ang pow but blood!

 

[TracyTan866]

Now, now... don't hurt the feelings of the poodles and their supporters (some of them are on this forum).

every policeman shd be ashamed of their compatriots fleeing during during Little India riot. If TCH and LHL cant see the shame, I hope the video will be screened regularly.

I hope Sylvia Lim willraise this in Parliament and all opposition parties will highlight this at their GE rallies to show how far down the pap has brought us