Police officer suicide: Workplace racism allegations in SPF will be investigated as disciplinary breaches, says Shanmugam

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has reviewed its policy on cases involving racial slurs or casual racism among its officers, and will investigate such cases as “possible misconduct” and “a disciplinary breach”, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam on Tuesday (Feb 6).

This is to ensure there is a record of the incident, disciplinary action is taken and the involved officer’s subsequent behaviour is closely monitored, Mr Shanmugam added.

He revealed this while delivering a ministerial statement in parliament on the death of Sergeant Uvaraja Gopal last year.

The 35-year-old officer died by suicide on Jul 21, 2023, after he was found lying motionless at the foot of a Housing Board block in Yishun. He had served with the police for more than 10 years and was last an officer with Ang Mo Kio Police Division.

In a Facebook post that was later removed, SGT Uvaraja said he had been bullied by his superiors and subjected to ethnic slurs by his teammates.

He also alleged that some officers’ misconduct was covered up, his performance appraisals were unfair to him and he was ostracised at work.

Shortly afterwards, SPF said SGT Uvaraja had made allegations in 2015, adding that these were looked into and found to be unsubstantiated.

On the complaints that he made against his superiors and peers over the years, SPF said they had been investigated and dealt with. But following SGT Uvaraja’s death, Mr Shanmugam asked SPF to conduct another investigation and for the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to review the findings.

NO FURTHER ACTIONS NEEDED: AGC

On Tuesday, Mr Shanmugam told the House that AGC has reviewed the findings of SPF’s latest investigation and determined that “no further actions were needed”.

As part of the investigations, witnesses – including current and former officers – were interviewed, while past documentation and records were also looked at.

The investigations found some of SGT Uvaraja’s allegations to be true. Some officers involved were disciplined or punished at the time.

But other allegations were false, Mr Shanmugam said.

The minister added that he “would have preferred not to go into the details” of the investigation findings out of respect for SGT Uvaraja’s memory and in consideration for his family, but it was in the public interest to deal with his allegations.

SGT Uvaraja’s family has been told in detail what the ministerial statement will contain, and they “know and understand why we have to set out the facts”, Mr Shanmugam said.

“A full investigation is important. If there is wrongdoing, it must be dealt with and errant officers must be taken to task. If we do not do so, over time, the public will lose trust in the police,” he added.

“However, if the allegations are unfounded, the facts must be set out and we must defend the police publicly, robustly.

“If this is not done, and untruths are allowed to fester, morale in SPF will go down, and public trust will be eroded. We have seen this, and many other things, happen – in the US, UK and other countries.”

RACIALLY INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE

Mr Shanmugam then went into detail on the specific allegations levied by SGT Uvaraja in his Facebook post.

The officer had said he was ill-treated and bullied by superiors and colleagues. This included the use of racially inappropriate language against him.

He made a complaint about this in 2015 and internal investigations conducted at the time found that the officers involved were talking among themselves. The remarks were not specifically directed to or aimed at SGT Uvaraja, Mr Shanmugam said.

However, the minister stressed that the remarks were “not acceptable at all”.

“It doesn’t matter whether they were directed at Uvaraja or they were not directed at Uvaraja. They were and are not acceptable, period,” Mr Shanmugam added.

“Uvaraja’s superiors made that clear to the team that such language cannot be used even as a joke. The officer who made the remark apologised to Uvaraja immediately in front of the whole team.

“If he had not apologised, he would have been made to do so. Disciplinary action would also have been taken against him.”

SGT Uvaraja’s superiors “continued to monitor the situation” to prevent further recurrences, said Mr Shanmugam.

SGT Uvaraja was updated on the outcome and turned down his deputy commander’s suggestion that he lodge an official complaint.

Mr Shanmugam told the House: “Since the incident, the police conducted a review of their policies, and there is a framework of approach for these cases.

“Cases involving racial slurs or casual racism will be investigated as possible misconduct, as a disciplinary breach. This is to ensure that there is a record of such an incident and that disciplinary action would be taken and the officer’s subsequent behaviour will be closely monitored.”

The police will “also continue to engage officers, shape culture, and engage in frank discussion” on such issues around racial slurs or casual racism through platforms like the annual ethics seminar, said Mr Shanmugam.

SHREDDING OF LEAVE FORM, ABUSIVE LANGUAGE

SGT Uvaraja also alleged that in 2019, his superior shredded his leave form and uploaded a video of this action in a group chat.

SGT Uvaraja had applied for discretionary time-off which does not require the submission of such a form. He sent this application at the last minute when other officers’ leave was already approved, but his superior nevertheless approved his application, Mr Shanmugam said.

This was not his first time doing so. On previous occasions, his teammates who were on leave had to be recalled to cover the manpower shortfall, Mr Shanmugam added.

In this case, SGT Uvaraja’s superior spoke to him about inconveniencing the team. SGT Uvaraja maintained his time-off request and asked the superior to end their conversation in their personal chat.

The superior then shredded the leave form and uploaded a recording of him doing so on the team chat group. He said he did this because the form was not required and it contained personal information.

Mr Shanmugam said: “The superior's conduct was not professional. He should not have done that, even though one can understand his unhappiness.

“Uvaraja raised this matter up the chain of command, and the superior was then reprimanded. Uvaraja was temporarily reassigned to a different unit so that both officers could have some time to cool off.”

Mr Shanmugam noted SGT Uvaraja’s further allegations that other superiors used abusive language against him.

These accusations were not supported by investigations. In fact, SGT Uvaraja often directly sent messages to or called his superiors who responded to him professionally, Mr Shanmugam added.

“COVER-UP” OF OFFICERS’ VAPING, SMOKING

In terms of SGT Uvaraja’s complaints that other officers’ misconduct was covered up, Mr Shanmugam said this was untrue.

SGT Uvaraja had made a complaint in 2021 about fellow officers vaping within police compounds. He alleged that this was covered up.

Mr Shanmugam said that SGT Uvaraja’s commander had acted on this information and directed an independent superior from a different unit to conduct a surprise check. All lockers and personal belongings within the police compound were checked, despite the complaint being directed only at a few specific officers.

The officers were interviewed and the complaint was not made out, said Mr Shanmugam.

SGT Uvaraja’s identity as the whistleblower was not disclosed to the independent superior or the officers involved.

Separately, in January 2023, SGT Uvaraja reported other officers for smoking within a different police compound. When evidence of this was uncovered during investigations, the officers were referred to the police’s Internal Affairs Office and disciplined, said Mr Shanmugam.

“UNFAIRLY HELD BACK”

Mr Shanmugam then addressed SGT Uvaraja’s claims that he was unfairly held back in his career and given unfair performance appraisals.

“These are untrue,” Mr Shanmugam said.

“Uvaraja was given opportunities to apply for postings, like his colleagues in the Police Land Divisions. When Uvaraja asked to be transferred, his superiors had facilitated and acceded to his requests, wherever possible.”

At SGT Uvaraja’s request, he was transferred to six different work units in nine years – significantly more than the norm, Mr Shanmugam added.

Two of these transfers were related to his whistleblowing on the alleged smoking offences because he felt uncomfortable working with the colleagues he had reported.

As for his performance appraisals, Mr Shanmugam said that investigations found his performance grades “were a fair assessment of his work contributions”. He was also awarded the COVID-19 Resilience Medal.

OSTRACISM

SGT Uvaraja also alleged that he was treated like an outcast by his team, saying he had invited his team to his wedding but nobody showed up.

Mr Shanmugam said this was untrue. SGT Uvaraja only invited his officer-in-charge, who accepted the invitation but fell ill that day and was unable to attend. He apologised to SGT Uvaraja for this.

SGT Uvaraja also told his commanding officer about the wedding but did not follow up with an invitation. Nevertheless, the commanding officer congratulated him in front of his teammates.

OFFICER FACED PERSONAL CHALLENGES, WAS GIVEN SUPPORT

Mr Shanmugam then detailed the professional support that SGT Uvaraja received from SPF amid problems with his family and health.

The sergeant appeared to face psychological stresses and had attended multiple psychological consultations for chronic insomnia since 2017.

He displayed anxiety and depressive symptoms, and also seemed to have a “tense relationship” with his wife and family, said Mr Shanmugam.

In April 2023, SGT Uvaraja’s wife called the police after a domestic argument. In July 2023 – the month he died – his brother, mother and sister-in-law also made police reports over altercations involving the sergeant.

There were three criminal and disciplinary investigations into SGT Uvaraja at the time of his death. First, he was under a criminal investigation for offences including under the Protection from Harassment Act.

Second, he was under a disciplinary investigation as he was on medical leave but left his house on multiple occasions in July 2023. This is a disciplinary offence in SPF.

Third, he was put under another disciplinary investigation in April 2023 for leaving unfinished work unattended and refusing to finish the tasks until he was told a third time to do so.

Mr Shanmugam said that the police had given SGT Uvaraja professional support in the form of substantial time off, psychological counselling and coaching.

From 2014 until his death in 2023, he took an average of 120 days of leave annually – “much more” than an officer would typically get, said the minister.

This included more than 100 days of no-pay leave in 2015 and 2022, and more than 200 days in 2016. He was granted the time off after using up his medical and annual leave.

He was assigned a para-counsellor on two occasions – in January 2023 after he reported experiencing work stress, and then in February 2023 when he showed “signs of being unstable” after being transferred to a new unit at his request. A police psychologist also attended to him on the second occasion.

Mr Shanmugam said that SGT Uvaraja’s superiors had assessed that his performance was below average. They guided him through face-to-face engagements, reviewing plans for him and setting achievable targets.

For example, when he was at the community policing unit from 2018 to 2021, “various work templates and resources” were given to the sergeant to help him, said the minister.

Mr Shanmugam added that SGT Uvaraja’s colleagues were sad that he took his own life, but also disappointed by his false claims about the police force.

“One officer who had partnered Uvaraja shared that she had encouraged him to start afresh when he was given a new posting, despite his past unhappinesses. But she was disappointed when he frequently did not show up for work,” he said.

“Another officer recalled how he had spent efforts to arrange one-on-one chats and meals with Uvaraja and sending him well wishes on his birthday to motivate him.”

Several teammates worked alongside SGT Uvaraja and tried to help him, including covering his shifts when he was absent, added Mr Shanmugam.

There is “a considerable feeling” among the officers that much was done for SGT Uvaraja by them individually and by SPF as an organisation.

“Despite all that, he seems to have externalised many of his issues onto his colleagues and the SPF. And there is considerable sadness at that,” said the minister.