Originally posted by ShutterBug:
Recently I received a card with a magnetic holder on its back, with a slogan "Without you, a threat might go unnoticed".
In this card, telephone numbers of the Police, Civil Defence, ISD, MOH, and a few other emergency related numbers were listed. This card basically encourages public to be more vigilant and report any, or all, suspicious activities to the authorities therein listed.
But let me tell you people in here, what I experienced last year when I called the Police in Jurong West regarding some suspicious activities I witnessed.
One afternoon, I noted a man lugging something heavy wrapped in plastic sheets or the kind of material used for tents, and carrying it to a vacant land in front of my block next to a small canal. He walked some distance with the heavy load along the canal, and hid the large package under and behind a tree near some thick growth of grass. He then proceeded to cover up as much as possible the package he placed there, and made his way back out.
Now all that while, I was recording the activity on my digicam, just in case I need the visual record. I immediately called the Jurong West police to report what I witnessed, and they said they will send some officers over to investigate. Half and hour passed, the man and his truck has long left the scene, and still no officers or a police car in sight. I called again to check if they are on their way, and was told they have left and on the scene. I told the officer I see no police car or officers around the location as my apartment flat overlooks the location in question. So after another 10 minutes, a police car finally appears by the street, but turns in and makes a u-turn and leaves the locale.
When I called again, an officer said they have been there and saw that it was a small plastic bag of old clothes. I said it isn't "a small plastic bag", and that I did not see any officer walking out to the tree I mentioned nest to the canal. They just brush it off, and say they don't handle "Illegal Dumping".
Now, tell me, is this "Total Defence"? Or have I carried out my civic duty in some wrong manner?? I told the officer in charge who took my call that, since you think that it is "Illegal Dumping", and that it is not your duty or jurisdiction to seriously take my report, then lets just hope the package doesn't contain anything of a serious threat to public - such as materials classifyable as Biological Weapons. I hung up on him.
It was such a waste of my time and effort, to find out that I cannot depend or rely on the Police. So, why send the public such a card when the standard of response is ( for lack of a nice word ) LIKE THAT?
I have one word though - PATHETIC.
Man... You sound as if it's your 1st year of experience in Singapore?

Though not all policeman is lousy, but INDEED I've noticed have SERIOUS PROBLEMS.... But just accept the fact? Black is black... Lazy is lazy....
Hmm... I wonder why not you request to have this published in the newspapers instead? Well... Then again it probably ain't much of a 'news' anyway...?
