Total Defence. Really?
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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?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.
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...? -
Yes, you noticed the threat, but the card didn't promise they would do anything
Just kidding ...
Anyway, did you find out what "threat" was that? -
Anyway... To be fair... It does seems plausible that anything would wanna bomb or do whatever in an open space?
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total defence heehee more like total bullshit
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why you so K'Po?
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they respond fast when you let them know an old man is walking up and down the flat sniffing at lady's underwear.
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Dun forget. The joker could be hiding his murdering devices there while waiting for opportunities to strike.Originally posted by Devil1976:Anyway... To be fair... It does seems plausible that anything would wanna bomb or do whatever in an open space?
Do we wait until the suspect has picked out a target first before we make an arrest then? -
Haha! Its protocol, border defence is a joke. So is the attitude of workers in Singapore in general, much the same with the civil defence and other members of the "home team".
Once i wasn in Centrepoint, saw some guy in a suit with sunglasses walk past the delifrance, he put his briefcase down on the floor as he stopped to buy a newspaper at the 7eleven, leaving his briefcase and moving off. I was at the mcdonalds when i saw it. Then my friends and I chit chatted for half an hour, the briefcase was still there. My anti-terror friend then said it could be a bomb, we laughed at first but then got scared. So my friend took it to the security desk and the 1st reply we got was "we are busy we cannot deal with lost items". Its just interesting to note: this is the attitude of the security personell here...
Next example of home team's blunder. I went to JB with my Aussie mates to buy some porn, beer, and other contraband to bring back to Singapore. So on our return journey along the causeway into Singapore, we stowed all the contraband in bags on the front seat. The cars that come into Singapore are checked by RANDOM, when they checked our car, we did not have to get out.
My mate was driving, he asked the police guy "do we have to get out and strip or something", the policeman said "no no dun need, we only check the back..."
My mate said "what if i had contraband stored in the front then?"
Police guy replied " Hah?!" Because he obviously did not understand what my friend had said, possibly due to communication english problem. So i told my friend to shut up or he may get us caught. So the police only checked the boot, so we got into Singapore un-molested, with our contraband. Now what if we were muslim fanatics instead of white expats? What if we had VX or explosive instead of Porn and pirated dvds?
The most ironic thing, was the next day after we returned, we were watching TV, an interview was done to some police chief at the causeway. And the police guy was saying "Our border policy is very secure, we check every vehicle coming through for dangerous items or contraband etc etc etc"
As we were watching this, the words "B U L L S H I T" were in our minds. We don;'t feel that secure in SG anymore. -
To the many who can attest to SIngapore's Home Team weak-links, I think it is time the government take a microscope to the home team and scrutinize the way they carry out their duties.
Complacency is the keyword in the way these agencies treat reports and feedbacks from public. I think it would take an incindent to wake up muddy minded attitudes.
Personally, I feel that if any attempts by terrorists here to wreak havoc and mayhem, will not likely be bombs; they would probably use biological agents - bacteria or viruses that spreads like wild fire. For an island so small, this can be VERY devastating. ( !! )
So, I urge the home team, to not take public reports lightly, and get off their laurels to check on it. It's better to find it is indeed some bag of old cloths than to realize that it is a bag of chemical agent or bacteria left to taint the air in a crowded estate.
Food for thought enough???