Sylvia Lim raises concerns on expanded role of auxiliary police
In Parliament on Monday, Workers’ Party MP Sylvia Lim raised concerns on the government’s proposed amendments to the law to allow auxiliary police officers to safeguard prisoners while they are within prison premises.
Currently, the law allows the auxiliary police to be deployed to escort prisoners while in transit to and from prison (e.g. to court) and while they are outside prison.
The amendments will now expand this role.
Ms Lim said:
“The handling of prisoners within prison is a delicate matter entrusted to prison officers. Could the government explain why this task is being outsourced to the auxiliary police? Is this due to any shortage of prison officers? As we know, the training requirements and mindsets of prison officers and auxiliary officers are also quite different. Prison officers are trained in Rehabilitation and are recruited to be ‘Captains of Lives’, while auxiliary police are generally focused on safeguarding property and some law and order functions. Given this fundamental difference, what additional jobs are to be assigned to the auxiliary police to do within the prison premises? How suitably trained are they for their expanded roles?”
The Online Citizen will post the government’s response as and when we have it.
