Covid-19: Police investigating 12 reports of abuse against enforcement officers, safe distancing ambassadors
The National Environment Agency had reported on April 15 the case of a man who allegedly hit an NEA officer at a hawker centre at Block 89 Circuit Road.
SINGAPORE — One man slapped an enforcement officer who requested his particulars. Another man head-butted an officer who told him to stop playing basketball in a hall that was cordoned off.
These were among the 12 incidents of enforcement officers and safe distancing ambassadors being abused by members of the public that have been reported to the police since the circuit breaker restrictions started on April 7.
In a statement on Friday (April 17) night, the police and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) said the authorities had observed an increase in such abusive behaviour against officers and ambassadors.
They listed five examples of incidents where officers and ambassadors had been at the receiving end of abuse by members of the public.
The five incidents are:
April 14: A 35-year-old man and his 33-year-old female companion used vulgar language against three ambassadors. He was told not to sit on a crossed-out seat at a hawker centre located at Toa Payoh Lorong 5.
April 15: A 72-year-old man slapped an enforcement officer who had asked for his particulars. The man had dined at a hawker centre at Block 89 Circuit Road.
April 15: A 40-year-old man, who was playing basketball at Khatib Multi-Purpose Hall, head-butted the enforcement officer who had asked him to stop.
April 15: A 79-year-old man punched an enforcement officer who had advised him to wear his mask properly along Havelock Road.
April 16: A 37-year-old man insulted a police officer for issuing a fine to his female friend for not wearing a face mask. The incident occurred outside The Cathay shopping mall.
Police investigations are ongoing against the offenders.
If found guilty of using abusive language against a public servant, they can be fined up to S$5,000, jailed up to 12 months, or both.
If found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt or using criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty, they can be jailed, fined, or both.
The police reminded the public that it is an offence not to furnish their personal particulars and home addresses when requested by an enforcement officer.
Therefore, members of the public should carry their identity cards or other forms of official identification with them when they leave home.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said he was upset to learn that criminal force had been used against “quite a number of our officers on the frontline”.
He said that such behaviour was unacceptable and the authorities would not hesitate to take action against such individuals.
