This is a list of police officers from the Singapore Police Force who were killed in the line of duty, based on official records from the year 1900 to date. Line of duty deaths refers to any police officer who has died while carrying out duty which he is obligated and/or authorised to carry out. This would include officers who respond to incidents while off-duty as obligated by the Police Force Act, as well as those commuting to and from their place of duty or training.
The Singapore establishment generally avoids personalising or glorifying acts of personal sacrifice in contemporary Singaporean society, and this applies to the police force as well. There had been no public memorial or monument dedicated to police officer deaths until the opening of the Police Heritage Centre in the Police Headquarters at New Phoenix Park on 15 August 2002, where a Commemorative Gallery features a wall inscribed with the names of all fallen officers. Although open to the public, access to the centre is restricted via an appointment-only policy.Singapore Education : Corporate Training Programmes : The Police Heritage Centre There are otherwise no readily accessible published lists of all fallen officers' names whether in print or electronically.
Fallen officers are, however, honoured and commemorated through ceremonies or functions, such as a one-minute silence observed during the annual Police Day Parade. Police funerals featuring a flag draped casket, a three-volley salute, and a procession, amongst other elements, may be organised depending on the circumstance of death. Most funerals in recent years are much simpler affairs, partly as many of these deaths are attributed to accidents, but many of these ceremonies still receive local media coverage. Other ways of commemoration may include posthumous promotions and the awarding of state medals; there has been seven posthumous promotions and two posthumous Police Medal of Valour awardees since the 1990s.
Trends
Causes of death Cause of death1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010sto dateTotalto dateMurder/Culpable homicide (with firearms) 66334 22Murder/Culpable homicide (with sharp object) 11 2 4Murder/Culpable homicide (with blunt object) 3 3Murder/Culpable homicide (other/unspecified) 191 1 21Accidental death (traffic accident) 14 84812239Accidental death (drowning) 1 3 2 6Accidental death (weapon mishandling) 2 1 3Accidental death (Other) 1 1Natural causes 1214Cause of death not recorded228336 24Total228331214161011152125
Victims' Profile The average age of slain police officers is 29.3 years of age, excluding 62 officers whose age were not reported. The highest number of casualties were in the 21–25 age band, making up 31.7% amongst officers whose age were reported, followed closely by those in the 26–30 age band, who make up 28.3%. While relative inexperience may be a factor, the generally young profile of police officers in Singapore and their greater probability of facing operational danger as frontline officers may also contribute to their premature deaths.
Age1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000sto dateTotalto date18-2000001001011421–25000011212571926–30000024162031831–3500000002131736–4000001001200441–4500000002104746–5000000000010151–55000001000001Not reported228326150321062
The ethnic profile of police officers has been traditionally disproportionate compared to the national ethnic profile, with a significantly higher proportion of ethnic Malays especially in the earlier decades. However, the number of casualties involving ethnic Chinese police officers are statistically higher overall due in part to the high mortality rates involving the ethnic Chinese community during the Japanese occupation of Singapore in the 1940s, and they make up 60.7% of total deaths.
Ethnicity1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000sto dateTotalto dateChinese2251251011038774Malay0011590542936Indian002001113109Eurasians/Other000111100004
Rank1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000sto dateTotalto dateVigilante ConstableNANANANANANA000101Police Constable0031280970NA30Police Constable (VSC)NANANANA01000001Detective Police Constable2151236220NANA42Trainee Special Constable000000000011Special Constable000020011004Lance Corporal010000000102Corporal000010021419Detective Corporal000002000NANA2Special Constable CorporalNANANANANANA000134Detective Lance Sergeant000020000NANA2Sergeant000000021137Staff Sergeant000001000135Senior Staff Sergeant000000000202Senior Staff Sergeant (VSC)NANANANA00000011Station Inspector000000000033Detective Sub-Inspector0000110000NA2National Service Probationary InspectorNANANANANANA000011Inspector000101100003Assistant Commandant0000010000NA1
Service1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000sto dateTotalto dateRegular228331203159910112Police National ServiceNANANANANANA011259Volunteer Special ConstabularyNANANANA01000012
Notes These ranks no longer exist in the present rank structure of the Singapore Police Force (with the exception of some ranks in the Gurkha Contingent). Includes two Special Constables. Part-time Police National Service was introduced in 1967, and full-time NS in 1975. The Volunteer Special Constabulary began in 1946.
Incidents by chronology
The following cases are listed by the date of death, although the incident attributing to death may have occurred earlier. The indicated ranks are as at time of death, and do not include posthumous promotions. Ranks/service numbers are colour-coded based on the cause of death as per the following general classifications. Uncoded entries refer to cases whereby incident details are unknown or unclear:
Key — denotes information is not available.
1940s DateRank/noNameAgeDivision/unitCircumstance1942D/SUB-InspTan Boo Leng——Executed by the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of SingaporeDPC 001Quek Ah Kee——DPC 003Kho Kee Thiam——DPC 019Lim Ah Kow——DPC 036Yip Keng Sam——DPC 066Tan Ah Kee——DPC 086Tee Boon Hye——DPC 099Tan Chan——DPC 102Lim Keng Seng——DPC 104Sim Kim Hock——DPC 112Ng Kim Hock——DPC 117Eng Yong Khoon——D/L/Sgt 135Chang Hak Joe——DPC 136Chan Wai Wah——DPC 143Tay Teng Liong——DPC 169Low Peng Hai——DPC 179Tan Sam Tuck——DPC 195Lim Kian Siong——DPC 4447Tan Kim Hock——18 October 1946DPC 41Lee Koh Beng39—He was on armed mobile patrol when their vehicle chanced upon several men who fled on sight along Middle Road near Queens Street. While jumping off the vehicle, DPC 41 sustained a fatal gunshot wound near his heart and died at the scene. The gunmen escaped, but were apprehended later.2 February 1947DPC 426——Shot by several gangsters on 1 February 1947 along Cheong Hong Lim Street in Chinatown, and died subsequently in hospital a day later.4 June 1947Cpl 2054Mohamed Gul—MarineCpl 2054, PC 3776 and PC 1315 were on patrol in Police Boat No. 16 when they stopped a boat with ten male Chinese on board in the waters off Beach Road in Kallang Basin. Cpl 2054 boarded the boat alone to check their clearance papers. As it was not in order, he asked the crew to return to port. Gunshots were heard before he could finish, and he was not heard of since, believed to be killed and his body dumped overboard. Shots were also fired at the police boat, hitting PC 3776 six times. He fell overboard, but was pulled back into the police boat as it sped off to summon for help. PC 3776 died in hospital a day later, while PC 1315 escaped unhurt.5 June 1947PC 37763028 October 1947SC 5221Teo Kim Swan23—SC 5221 was on duty at a police duty hut along Henderson Road outside the Singapore Glass Factory with fellow Special Constable Abu Bakar. About to go off-duty, SC Abu Bakar reached for his rifle which was leaning against a table, but the rifle fell to the ground and a round was discharged, hitting SC5221 and killing him.14 November 1947DPC 809Cheong Ngit Cheong28—DPC 809 was having coffee at a coffeeshop along Balestier Road with a former detective, Wong Khim Seang, when three men, two of whom were armed, walked into the eatery and fired at the two men at point blank range. DPC 809 was shot in the back of his head and died two hours later in hospital, while Wong was hit in the leg and survived.10 March 1948SC 519420—SC 5194 was on guard duty at the HSBC Bank Building on 9 March 1948 when he was shot accidentally in the neck by SC 5220 who was checking clear his service revolver prior to handing over the weapon to him.
1950s DateRank/noNameAgeDivision/unitCircumstance5 April 1950S/Sgt 4098——Killed in an operation in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, as a result of the Malayan Emergency.19 December 1950Insp27—Killed by rioters while escorting a Eurasian woman in distress to her home in Changi. He was dragged out of his car along Changi Road, beaten, and dumped in the drain on 11 December 1950 during the Maria Hertogh riots. His revolver was stolen, and he died eight days later in hospital.1951-01-02DPC 280Ang Beng Siong27Orchard RoadDPC 280 was stepping out of his home and starting his motorbike at the junction of Havelock Road and Beng Hoon Road when two gunmen fired at him from point-blank range, hitting him in both sides of his chest and in his face. The killers escaped in bicycles, while he staggered to a medicine shop nearby and collapsed on the floor. He died on the way to hospital.1951-01-19D/Cpl 3066Yap Beng Teck—CIDD/Cpl 3066 left the home of his second wife at 67 Fraser Street and was getting into his car when two Chinese men shot him in the head, stole his revolver, and escaped in bicycles. He died in hospital an hour later.1951-02-05Asst Comdnt55SCAssistant Commandant Abdul Rahman was leaving for work from his home at Lorong 6 Geylang when a lone Chinese gunman shot him at pointblank range twice in the back and neck. His police driver tried but failed to find the escaped assailant.1951-11-09PC 63022Kandang KerbauPC 630 was travelling to work in a police van when the van crashed into a lamppost at the junction of Newton Road and Thomson Road. All four officers were injured, two seriously, including PC 630 who died later.1952-04-02DPC 108Tan Toa Tee28Orchard RoadDPC 108 was last seen cycling from his friend's home at Henderson Road when gunshots were heard. His body was found by his friend with three gunshot wounds in a lallang field, and his revolver was missing.1955-05-12PC(V) 1039Teo Bock Lan Andrew——Severely beaten by the rioting mob during the Hock Lee bus riots and died in hospital later. He was the first Volunteer Special Constabulary officer to die in the line of duty.1955-05-12D/CplYuen Yau Phang——Burned to death after rioters set his car alight during the Hock Lee bus riots.
1960s