Number of foreigners as police officers is ‘for society to decide’

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/number-foreigners-police-officers-society-decide?singlepage=true

Can Singaporeans accept police officers who are foreigners, given the manpower crunch the force faces?

The question came up at the Police Workplan Seminar yesterday, during a dialogue held with about 200 junior-college and polytechnic students.

Asked by the moderator whether they would hire foreigners for the police force should they be put in charge of recruitment, fewer than 10 students raised their hands — in contrast with more than half the students who felt otherwise.

Those supportive of the idea said what matters is the “higher authority” that police officers represent and one’s integrity, while those who opposed it cited the need to protect state secrets and the possible signal sent that Singapore lacked commitment as a country and is not doing its best to recruit local officers.

The manpower crunch faced by the police came under the spotlight during the Committee of Inquiry hearing for the Little India riot, with police commissioner Ng Joo Hee appealing for 1,000 more officers to boost the force.