Airport Police Division officers tell CNA about the unique responsibilities of policing in Changi Airport, and what changed during and after the pandemic border closures.
SINGAPORE: In November last year, Assistant Superintendent of Police Jerry Tan found himself dealing with a bomb threat on an aircraft about to land at Changi Airport.
“After the aircraft was parked, we had to manage the scene, coordinate the rescreening of passengers, baggage and cargo, search the aircraft for the bomb, as well as control the movement of people into the aircraft and conduct interviews with witnesses,” he said. As a patrol team leader, ASP Tan leads a team of officers to conduct patrols, operations and security checks, as well as respond to any crime or aviation security incidents at the airport.
These can range from passengers filming YouTube videos of their transit in Changi Airport, to fans who misuse boarding passes to meet celebrities in the transit area.For ASP Tan, this work is very different from his previous postings doing investigations in Ang Mo Kio Division and at the Anti-Scam Centre.
More than 600 entities – including aircraft operators, airlines, auxiliary police forces, transit hotels, retailers and cargo agents, among others – perform aviation security-related functions at Singapore’s airports. If an auxiliary officer fails this undercover inspection, the breach will be reported to his or her employer, which will take the necessary disciplinary action.
The auxiliary officer was crying and worried about the consequences of being reported to his employer, said ASP Zafeera. Her team had to balance giving him time and opportunity to explain himself, while remaining firm and assertive about the breach. Aviation security inspectors are trained to analyse security breaches in various scenarios and work out the corrective actions to be taken, said ASP Zafeera.
“Even though passenger operations minimised, the security functions cannot be minimised,” said ASP Tan.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Spanish police arrest man suspected in 2022 parcel-bomb caseInterior Minister declined to comment on reports that a Russian group could be behind the attacks. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Innocent tweet about Singapore’s airport mall becomes focal point in America’s culture warJewel Changi, the shopping centre connected to Singapore’s Changi Airport, is pretty magnificent looking. From certain angles, it does look a bit like the Southeast Asian version of Wakanda, with its massive glass dome, picturesque waterfall and elevated trains. A few days ago, American Hayden Clarkin, who writes about urban mobility as “The Transit Guy”…
Read more »
Berlin airport cancels all flights on Wednesday amid strikeAbout 300 take-offs and landings won’t happen, affecting about 35,000 passengers. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Thai police seize 1.1 tonnes of crystal meth in under a weekBANGKOK: Thai police seized 1.1 tonnes of crystal methamphetamine in less than a week, officers said Tuesday (Jan 24), as the kingdom cracks down on smuggling that has surged since the country's borders reopened. The haul comes after a spike in clashes between police and smugglers in the kingdom's remote n
Read more »
Thai police seize 1.1 tonnes of crystal meth in under a weekA police general said with Thailand’s borders again open, narcotics “are just being shipped in non-stop”. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Read more »
Death toll from California massacre rises to 11 as police look for motiveMONTEREY PARK - An 11th victim died on Monday from injuries suffered in a weekend shooting rampage at a Los Angeles-area dance hall, as investigators searched for a motive behind one of California's bloodiest outbursts of mass gun violence. Police identified Huu Can Tran, 72 as the lone suspect in a massacre that unfolded Saturday night in the midst of...
Read more »