The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that it does not conduct checks at people’s homes solely for the purpose of enforcing the elevated safe distancing measures implemented by the Government to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
In a statement uploaded on Facebook on Tuesday (14 April), the Police said that it is aware of text messages making rounds among the public that “give the false impression that the Police are proactively conducting checks at residential units to enforce the elevated safe distancing measures”.
However, SPF stressed that this is “not true”, and urged people to no spread such unsubstantiated information that may result in panic among the public.
It went on to state that, however, the Police will take enforcement action if it come across anyone who flout safe distancing measure while attending to other types of incidents at residential units.
As an example, SPF highlighted a recent case that happened at Jurong West Avenue 1 on 11 April. It said that a man called up the Police requesting for an assistance for a family dispute.
“During the engagement, the Police officers discovered that there was a gathering of family members, in particular two who were not from the household living in that residential unit,” it explained.
It added that these two men were the ones who had called the Police requesting for assistance, as well as his wife, adding that the family who originally lives there include the man’s mother, his uncle and other family members.
“The Police officers therefore issued a warning to the couple who was not residing there and was not there for an essential purpose, for not complying with the elevated safe distancing measures under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020,” SPF said.
On Monday, SPF also rejected another claim that stated that the Police conduct road blocks and fine those who defy the elevated safe distancing measures.
“There are messages circulating via text messaging services making false claims that members of the public had been stopped at police road blocks and fined for not complying with the elevated safe distancing measures,” SPF noted.
It added, “This is not true. The Police have not conducted road blocks specifically to enforce the elevated safe distancing measures, and no passengers have been fined at road blocks for not complying with these measures.”
Although SPF clarified that they did not fine people at road blocks, but they did note that they may take enforcement on those that disobey the safe distancing measures if they spot them.
