SINGAPORE - In anticipation of large crowds thronging the first post-pandemic National Day Parade in August 2022, a team of police officers turned to technology to help with crowd control – and prevent deadly stampedes.
The team developed the ‘Crowd@MarinaBay’ online map, to dispense real-time information on the crowd situation and area closures there. With the map, members of the public headed to Marina Bay for a view of the fireworks and festivities could get live updates on which areas to avoid, while the police could more effectively plan crowd control measures.
“Thankfully, we have not had crowd crush incidents in Singapore, but this is a contingency we always prepare for, even before the Itaewon incident,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohamad Faizal, 36, who led the team of five from the Central Police Division.
Fatal crowd crushes have occurred around the world. In October 2022, 159 people died in a crush of Halloween partygoers in the clubbing district of Itaewon in Seoul.
The ‘Crowd@MarinaBay’ team was honoured with a Home Team Innovation Award at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Minister’s Awards Presentation Ceremony on Friday at the Home Team Academy.
A total of 123 awards were presented to recognise outstanding officers, teams and agencies for their work in operations and projects with MHA.
Before ‘Crowd@MarinaBay’ was developed, the police used physical maps to apprise the public of the crowd situation at large-scale events. These maps would be placed around the venue, and the police would periodically send runners to update crowd density indicators, which were attached to the map with velcro, DSP Mohamad Faizal told The Straits Times.
The online map is expected to save more than 2,800 man-hours annually, say the police. After its success at the parade, the map’s use has been broadened to Orchard Road on Christmas Eve, Marina Bay on New Year’s Eve, and Chinatown during the Chinese New Year. It is only accessible on occasions where large crowds are expected.
The team is also looking to further enhance the map by integrating augmented reality and including features that help users find an accessible path through the crowd to their chosen destination, said the DSP.
Speaking at the ceremony, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam acknowledged Home Team officers’ contributions to keeping Singapore safe in an increasingly unsafe world.
He also announced the launch of a “Home Team Day” on Feb 24 next year. The concept of a Home Team was established on that date in 1997.
“It will be an annual event, to recognise the contributions of our officers including NSmen and volunteers, and to reaffirm our commitment to the Home Team concept and mission,” said Mr Shanmugam. More details will be announced later.
Receiving an MHA Distinguished Star Service Award was senior crime scene specialist Seah Chee Wei, 47, a veteran of the police force for over 25 years.
Mr Seah, who is deployed in the Criminal Investigation Department as a forensic manager from the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, contributed significantly to the investigation fraternity with his forensic work, said the police.
His meticulous processing of the scenes of a burglary affecting five restaurants in VivoCity led him to recover a fingerprint that led to the arrest of the culprit.
“At the end of the day, when I manage to secure something that contributes to crime-solving, that gives me satisfaction”, he told ST.
Another recipient of the MHA Distinguished Star Service Award was Staff Sergeant (SSG) Muhammad Tamimi Mohamad Mamsi from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), for exemplifying dedication in rescue missions.
SSG Tamimi, 32, a member of the SCDF’s disaster assistance and rescue team, was part of the force’s search and rescue mission to Turkey in February after a deadly earthquake struck, killing over 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
He rescued a 12-year-old boy from a collapsed building.
In June this year, he and his team rescued a 74-year-old woman who was threatening to jump off a parapet on the 10th floor of an HDB block in Bukit Batok. He rappelled two floors down to the woman, secured her, and prevented her from falling off.
A rush of adrenaline and relief comes with saving lives, said SSG Tamimi. When rescuing the elderly woman, his actions came instinctively, just as it does in his daily training, he added.
