Uniforms of the Singapore Police Force

Uniforms of the Singapore Police Force are a Dark				sewn on the right sleeves and made of embroidered,
blue (or more accurately Dacron blue), and have				white cloth. The dark blue trousers are tucked into
remained so continuously since 1969, although the				combat boots, and is topped by a dark blue beret.
first police uniforms introduced in 1856 were also in				In recent years, the GC has increasingly adopted the
the same colour.				no.4 dress for active duty in public places,
The earliest law enforcement officers in the fledgling				incorporating elements from the no.3 dress. Officers
colony of Singapore wore no uniforms, until in 1856,				on duty during the National Day Parade and the 117th
when the Police Force Act was passed and vested				IOC Session wear the no.4 dress but with the Hat
full police powers upon the security forces then in				Terrai Gurkha. The shirt sleeves are rolled up, and
existence, paving the way for uniforms to be				includes the metal whistle and chain. In addition, the
introduced. The first uniforms were dark				rank is not sewn to the sleeves, but worn on a dark
blue-coloured serge coats, trousers, cap and black				blue tab affixed to the right breast pocket with the
shoes. White trousers are used for ceremonial				rank in silver embroidered thread similar to that
parades and special duty. This proved unpopular as				currently used by regular officers.
the thick material was deemed too uncomfortable in				Less often seen, but formally in frequent use during
the local tropical climate.				rioting incidents is the fire-resistant version of the
In 1879, a Commission of Enquiry was formed with				combat dress, which feature zipper breast pockets
the task of evaluating the existing uniform, and in				and on the trousers. Gurkha officers may also wear
1890, khaki was formally introduced. The khaki				the jungle dress, with camouflage-coloured uniforms
uniform comprised a black headdress (locally known				based on the British Army DPM and jockey cap, and
as the Songkok), khaki shirt and shorts, black				complemented by various forms of webbing for
puttees and ankle boots. Strict regulations requiring				paramilitary training, duties in rural and forested areas,
them to be heavily starched and ironed produced a				combat fitness training and when dispatched out of
cardboard-like material which stood out unnaturally.				Singapore for overseas exercises. Police Tactical Unit
The white gaiters were removed as it was difficult				officers on patrol during the Shangri-La Dialogue on 1
to keep them clean, although they remained part of				June 2007, sporting new uniforms and the signature
the ceremonial uniform till 1910.				red berets.
As the Second World War drew to a close in 1945,				A series of reviews and changes to the uniforms
the khaki uniform was updated with the black beret				took place across the various police units from the
replacing the Songkok, and completed by blue grey				2000s onwards. In 2002, the whistle chain was
flannel shirt, brown khaki shorts, dark blue hosetops,				completely removed from all uniforms (except for
black boots and leather belt, and a navy blue whistle				some uniforms worn by the Gurkha Contingent) in
lanyard. This uniform became the primary uniform				the police force, the National Police Cadet Corps, as
used throughout the force, and was last worn in				well as amongst CISCO officers. The new all-cotton
1971. The Marine Police wore a white version of the				combat uniform for the Police National Service Key
khaki uniform.				Installation (KINS) Protection Units was introduced in
Tunic"> TopIn 1969, dacron blue made a comeback				the same year.
to the uniform with a force-wide change away from				Amongst land divisions, the Number 3 uniform (also
khaki. The new uniform comprises a dark blue peak				known as the working dress) was enhanced with the
cap, shirt, trousers, black belt, shoes and socks, and				buttons sewn on (instead of using metal rings
coded whistle lanyard in blue and white. 3 large and 4				previously) in 2004, while the name tag was changed
small metal buttons, metal collar badges, and a metal				from using a metal pin to Velcro for affixing to the
cap badge are affixed, and a black plastic name tag				uniform. In 2006, riveted buttons, which were
completes the uniform. Metallic ranks, if any, are fixed				considered to be more secure, were introduced to
to the sleeve or on the shoulders for senior officers.				replace the sewn on buttons. The trousers come
The lanyard was changed to a metal chain in 1972,				with additional side pockets mid-way down the thighs
and in 1985, the material of the uniform was changed				with the main purpose of providing a convenient
from 75% polyester 25% cotton to 100% polyester				location for the M-pod, a PDA-sized gadget slated to
for a smarter bearing and turnout.				be launched. Separately, the Police Maternity Dress
Derivatives of the standard blue uniform (collectively				was also introduced.
called the no.3 uniform) was adopted for specialised				For the specialist divisions, the Police Tactical Unit
forces and for all officers in various occasions which				changed their beret from dark blue to maroon in
calls for more formal or casual attire. The Traffic				2005. The combat uniform was also redesigned to a
Police Department was amongst the few to move				more loose-fitting attire with utility pockets, and the
away from the all-blue attire, adopting a				material changed to a cotton-polyester mix which is
short-sleeved white tunic, dark blue breeches, a black				more durable and fire resistant. The colour of the
leather Sam Browne belt, and riding boots for its				uniform is also changed to a darker shade of blue for
officers performing mobile squad duties. A white				tactical purposes. High-heel boots with gutters were
crash helmet is worn when on the move, while a				also introduced. The Police Coast Guard introduced a
new dark blue jockey cap with chequered white and				new set of uniforms comprising of a helmet, dark
dark blue patterns around its circumference is worn				blue polo top and Bermudas for officers performing
when convenient while performing static duty.				patrolling duties on Pulau Ubin using bicycles. Also their
Members of the Vigilante Corps are also attired by a				officers will be changing into a combat uniform which
white short-sleeved top similar in design to the dark				is alike to those issue to the Police Tactical Unit.
blue version for normal officers, gold-coloured				From 30 September 2005, new duty belts made of
buttons and badges, and a dark blue beret in place of				synthetic leather were introduced force-wide,
the peak cap.				replacing the former practise of securing items
The Gurkha Contingent marches past at the Police				individually on the trouser belt. First utilised by officers
Day Parade 2005 held for the last time at the Police				in Central Police Division on a trial-run basis, the new
academy grounds in Thomson Road. The officers are				belt comprises two layers fastened together by
dressed in the no.3 dress and carry the M16 rifle				velcro strips, allowing for equipment to be removed
The Gurkha trooper's no.3 dress, also called the				with ease and a more comfortable and lighter fit for
working dress, is for general duties, including guard				front-line officers. The belt, together with the
duties and on parade. The dark blue outfit, largely				handcuff pouch, bullet pouch, T-baton and revolver
adapted from the Singapore Police Force, includes the				holster are now personally issued to all regular,
standard two front breast pockets on the shirt with				full-time police national servicemen, and Volunteer
aluminium anodised collar badges, buttons and a black				Special Constabulary officers. The old leather belts
plastic name tag atop the right breast pocket. Since				will, however, continue to be in use during non-front
removed in the rest of the SPF but retained by the				line and administrative duties, as well as during
GC are the chromed service number pinned above				appropriate functions.
the name tag, and the whistle and chain.				In 2006, the GC implemented its biggest change to
The shirt is long-sleeved and neatly folded up, unlike				its uniform since the adoption of the present uniform
the short-sleeved versions adopted for the no.3				three decades ago, just prior to the commencement
dress of the SPF. The sleeves are rolled down when				of the 61st Annual Meetings of the Boards of
the sun sets, and rolled up again when the sun rises.				Governors of the International Monetary Fund and
GC trooper continue to wear aluminium badges of				the World Bank Group as part of Singapore 2006.
rank, which are worn on the right sleeve 11.5				Khaki-coloured berets in place of the Hat Terrai
centimetres below the right shoulder strap.				Gurkha and the dark blue beret. The Hat Terrai
Constables wear aluminium bars at the outer edges				Gurkha became a largely ceremonial headgear. The
of the shoulder straps. The dark blue trousers are				combat dress (Dress No. 4) was changed to a
secured by the two-pronged black leather Garrison				cotton-polyester material to match those adopted by
Belt, and completed by standard issued black leather				other specialised units of the SPF, such as the Special
boots.				Operations Command and the Police Coast Guard,
The trooper wears the Hat Terrai Gurkha when on				albeit with a slightly darker shade of blue.
guard duty and while on parade. While on guard duty,				The evolution of uniforms worn by the Police Coast
he is armed with a pistol and magazine pouch worn				Guard largely mirrors that for the land-based divisions,
on the belt, and with the Kukri affixed to the back				with its earliest uniforms reflecting British heritage and
of his belt. Additional weaponry and equipment may				influence. Early uniforms are based on that of navy
be issued depending on situational needs. When not				sailors, consisting of an all-white attire of long-sleeved
on duty, the officer dons a newly produced brown				shirts and shorts. Officers wore the same
beret with the metal police cap badge similar to older				Khaki-based uniforms which were introduced in the
berets worn by combat officers of the SPF.				land divisions from 1890, before switching to the
Senior Gurkha officers are distinguished by a gold				dacron blue uniform in 1969 along with the rest of
flash on the cap badge. The Duty Unit Sergeant				the police force.
wears an additional red sash with the uniform.				When the Marine Police was reorganised and
Combat uniforms has also been adopted for specialist				renamed as the Police Coast Guard in 1993, the
units such as those from the Special Operations				uniform was also changed to the Combat (or No. 4)
Command and the Police Coast Guard (PCG),				Uniform. This uniform consisted of a long-sleeved
collectively known as the No.4 uniforms. These				shirt and long pants made of a slightly tougher
involve the replacement of metal buttons with				polyester, and does away with almost all metal parts
sewn-on plastic ones, the avoidance of all other				via the use of velcro and plastic buttons. They don a
metallic accruements which are deemed potentially				blue beret, but are permitted to wear a baseball cap
hazardous to the officer or to others and the use of				while on operational duties. Footwear is in the form
long-sleeved shirts. SOC officers wear combat boots				of lace-up leather shoes with non-slip soles. Unlike the
while officers in PCG use lace up leather shoes with				Combat Uniform worn by other units in the police
non-slip soles. These units also tend to adopt the				force, the uniform adopted hidden plastic buttons to
beret as their headgear, although PCG officers use				avoid entanglements, and does away with gutters
the baseball cap while on operational duties.				since shoes, and not boots, are worn to allow rapid
There was no major change to the uniform since				removal should water entry be required.
then, except for the adoption of embroidered				In May 2005, the island Patrol Uniform was
shoulder ranks and badges for all ranks in the 1990s.				introduced, consisting of a helmet, dark blue polo top
Other changes are less distinct, such as the upgrading				and Bermudas for officers performing bicycle patrol
of shoes used, the change of the belt material and				duties on Pulau Ubin[1]. These were introduced to
belt buckle to one including the police crest, and				project a softer image on the island where
changes to the peak cap to a more durable and				recreational activities abound, and to provide greater
ventilated version. Gurkha officer in new combat				comfort for the officers in the humid outdoor
dress (Dress No. 4) and armed with Remington 870				weather.
shotgun during the Shangri-La Dialogue on 1 June				As part of a force-wide review of the police
2007.				uniforms, the PCG adopted the new combat uniform
The Gurkha no.4 dress is adapted from the combat				similar to that currently worn by the Special
dress of their regular counterparts, and is also known				Operations Command, albeit with a darker shade of
as the night dress, as they are worn during night				blue. While they were introduced to overcome
duty. They are also worn for civil security duty and				existing limitations of the current uniform, such as
training, as well as range practices at any time of the				allowing for less-hindrance in body movement due to
day. The long sleeves of the dark blue shirt is similarly				the more relaxed fit, and its non-flammable
rolled up and down depending on duty requirements				properties, they met with opposition from some
and time of day, and is devoid of metal accruements.				officers who feel it projects the wrong image to the
Junior officers wear their service numbers using white				general public, including its "technician" look. Officers
embroidered lettering on a dark blue Velcro backing				began to don the new combat uniform from 21
fixed above their right breast pocket. Ranks are				August 2006.

Marines

Uniforms of the Singapore Police Force