Commissioner of the
Singapore Police Force
Incumbent
Hoong Wee Teck
since 6 January 2015
Singapore Police Force
TypeCommissioner of Police
AbbreviationCP
Reports toMinister for Home Affairs
AppointerPresident of Singapore
Term lengthNo term limit
Constituting instrumentCap. 235, 2006 Rev. Ed.
Formation1857 (1857)
First holderThomas Dunman
DeputyDeputy Commissioner of Police
Commissioner of Police rank epaulettes

The Commissioner of Police is the head of the Singapore Police Force (SPF). The Commissioner is assisted by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, and reports to the Minister for Home Affairs. The current Commissioner of Police is Hoong Wee Teck.

The position was created with the Police Act of 1856 (and passed in 1857), in response to calls for a full-time dedicated police officer to helm the police force in response to escalating cases of violent crime in Singapore during that period. Thomas Dunman was appointed as a Deputy Magistrate and Superintendent of Police in 1843, before he assumed responsibilities as the first full-time Commissioner of Police in June 1857.

When Singapore, Malacca and Penang became Crown colonies of the British Empire in 1867, the role of the police commissioner was expanded to include that of the entire Straits Settlements, with the title changed to Inspector-General of Police. This lasted until the Japanese occupation of Singapore in 1942, before the position was restored as the Commissioner of Police in 1946 with the return of the British and the gradual instatement of self-governance.

The President of Singapore has the power to appoint the Commissioner of Police on the advice of the Cabinet.[1]

List of commissioners of police

Commissioner of the Singapore Police Force

# Portrait Commissioner of Police Took office Left office
1 R E Foulger 1946 1951
2 J P Pennefather-Evans 1951 1952
3 Nigel G Morris 1952 1957
4 E Alan G Blades 1957 1963
5 John Le Cain 1963 1967
6 Cheam Kim Seang 1967 1971
7 Tan Teck Khim 1971 1979
8 Goh Yong Hong 1979 1992
9 Tee Tua Ba 1992 1997
10 Khoo Boon Hui 1997 2010
11 Ng Joo Hee 2010 2015
12 Hoong Wee Teck 2015 Incumbent

List of inspectors-general of police

Commissioner of the Straits Settlements Police

# Portrait Commissioner of Police Took office Left office
1 Thomas Dunman 1857 1871

Inspector-General of the Straits Settlements Police

# Portrait Inspector-General of Police Took office Left office
1 C B Plunket 1871 1875
2 Samuel Dunlop 1875 1891
3 R W Maxwell 1891 1895
4 E G Pennefather 1895 1906
5 William Andrew Cuscaden 1906 1914
6 A R Chancellor 1914 1923
7 G C Denham 1923 1925
8 Harold Fairburn 1925 1935
9 Rene H de S Onraet 1935 1939
10 Arthur Harold Dickinson 1939 1942

References

  1. ↑ "Police Force Act - Singapore Statutes Online". sso.agc.gov.sg. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  • "Policing Singapore in the 19th & 20th centuries", Peer M. Akbur, Singapore Police Force, 2002 ISBN 981-04-7024-X
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