NCJ Number
190768
Date Published
March 2000
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This paper examined the role of the police, prosecution and the judiciary in reducing the crime rate in Singapore.
Abstract
Within a short 30-year span, Singapore has been transformed from a Third World city to an industrialized economy. Singaporeans now expect a high standard of service quality and efficiency in their daily transactions. In addition, the urgency of preventing crime and effectively rehabilitating criminals are common to law enforcement and adjudication authorities in Singapore, as well as in all countries. The goal of the Singapore criminal justice system is to reduce crime and encourage respect for and compliance with the criminal law through three basic approaches: individual prevention, general prevention, and incapacitation. This paper presented in 1999 at the UNAFEI, 111th International Seminar on "The Role of the Police, Prosecution, and the Judiciary in the Changing Society" examined Singapore's changing society and the role the police, prosecution, and the judiciary played in bringing about a significant reduction in crime. Through the efforts of the police, the prosecutors and the courts, Singapore has managed to keep its crime rates down for 9 consecutive years. Management in these agencies is engaged in strategic planning to anticipate and plan ahead for any crisis. With the nature of crime involving the police, prosecutors, and the courts, it is necessary to harness the knowledge of these strategic partners with the aid of modern technology.