"An example of a CSSP (Community Safety and Security Programme) that includes the CEP dimension is the Nee Soon South project. It enlarges the CSSP platform to encompass the psycho-social dimension that is CEP." said A/Prof Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs.
SPEECH BY ASSOC PROF HO PENG KEE, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW AND HOME AFFAIRS, AT THE NATIONAL CSSP AWARD CEREMONY ON TUESDAY 29 JULY 2008, 7.00 PM, AT HOME TEAM NS @ BUKIT BATOK AUDITORIUM, 2 BUKIT BATOK WEST AVENUE 7, SINGAPORE 659003
Community Leaders, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening.
Growth of CSSP
2 It has been 11 years since we launched the Community Safety and Security Programme, or CSSP for short. CSSP has evolved from its humble beginnings as the Neighbourhood Watch Zone (NWZ), which encouraged mutual care and help in the community through residents keeping an eye out for one another, to what it is today - a recognised collaborative banner under which the community, the People’s Association and the Home Team tackle critical safety and security issues, including homeland security and emergency preparedness.
A Caring Community and Safe Homes
3 Over the years, the underlying philosophy of CSSP has remained constant - to empower communities to develop ground-up security and enforcement solutions to safeguard their own neighbourhoods. By offering a structured and focused platform for people to come together, and playing a co-ordinating function, the CSSP has forged community cohesion, a strong spirit of self-help and mutual support among local grassroots organisations and residents.
4 An excellent example of this is one of our award winners today - an initiative called Kampong Spirit @ Eunos. This initiative is to promote a greater neighbourhood spirit like in a kampong., where neighbours know and trust one another. They live harmoniously together and display communal spirit and unity by extending help to all, regardless of race or religion, in times of crisis. A Council of Elders, comprising respected leaders from the various ethnic and religious groups, has been formed to advise the Mayor on issues relating to inter-communal affairs in the area. There are also Eunos Community Engagement (CE) Champions who provide continuity and a smooth transition in responding to crisis situations by initiating bonding, emergency preparedness and self-help activities together with other community groups such as Residents’ Committees and schools. This initiative promotes greater neighbourliness and strengthens the social fabric, reminiscent of the “good old” kampong days.
5 There are many more ground-up initiatives as residents get involved in keeping their neighbourhoods safe and secure.
Recognition for CSSP Awards
6 Tonight, we give recognition to the most outstanding CSSP initiatives in 2007. I am heartened by the quality of projects that have been nominated for the award. In fact, this year sees the largest number of projects receiving the award since the launch of the National CSSP Awards in 2003. These 21 teams stood out for their initiative and creativity by identifying the pressing concerns in their neighbourhood and working with the relevant Home Team agencies and partner organisations to devise and implement effective solutions. I congratulate you all. Well done and thank you for the sacrifices you have made for your community! We hope that you will share your initiatives with others, and that the others will consider these initiatives’ best practices and customise them for their own areas, if suitable.
7 Besides participation from the local residential community, we are seeing a good level of participation from businesses and foreigners living in Singapore as well. For example, 48 construction companies came together in Ang Mo Kio to train their site workers to enhance the safety and security of their premises. Known as Workers-on-Watch (or WOW), these members serve as extra pairs of eyes and ears on the ground. Through their involvement in the programme, these volunteers also gain greater awareness and sense of responsibility for the security of their neighbourhood. I know for a fact that several cases of attempted theft were foiled by these volunteers. I understand that this initiative has been replicated in at least 3 other construction sites and there is interest in expanding this to some industrial estates.
Leveraging on Existing Structures
8 Over the years, CSSP has built up a strong foundation, reaching out to residents from all walks of life. After the 9-11 attacks, the CSSP has also taken on the additional dimension of helping the community stay vigilant and resilient against terrorism. For example, the counter-terrorism element has been incorporated into CSSP in projects such as the Corporate First Responder programme. Over in Bedok, the Civil Defence Executive Committee has taken the further step of imparting emergency preparedness knowledge and skills to the staff and students at the pre-school level.
9 CSSP also complements other programmes like the Community Engagement Programme (or CEP). The CEP is a long-term effort to help equip us to maintain our social cohesion and harmony and minimise communal tension. Under the CEP, we strive to build networks of trust so that in a crisis, we could stay united.
10 An example of a CSSP project that includes the CEP dimension is the Nee Soon South project. It enlarges the CSSP platform to encompass the psycho-social dimension that is CEP. The first CEP-focused project undertaken at a constituency level, the project progressed from a CEP workshop, emergency preparedness training to a table-top exercise where residents in Nee Soon South worked together to craft a response plan for their constituency. The project culminated to a CEP-cum-EP Day where the concepts and tips on emergency preparedness and of CEP were on display.
11 Another noteworthy project was by the Queenstown constituency. The religious organisations in Queenstown came together to be trained and to get prepared for emergencies. Participants gained hands-on training and took part in a scenario-based exercise involving a simulated bomb explosion during the Queenstown EP Day. By building understanding and forging bonds during non-crisis times, I am hopeful that with initiatives like these, constituencies will be better equipped for a crisis.
Ground level initiatives
12 Ground level initiatives are the principal source of the CSSP’s strength and effectiveness. It is not difficult to get involved in CSSP. It starts with a small step taken by like-minded people to improve their own living environment. Over time, bonds are forged and you learn to tap on each other’s experience and expertise, picking up useful life skills along the way. Moving forward, let us work even harder for a caring community and safe homes for ourselves and families. No one is too young, or too old to play a part; no effort too small.
13 Once again, I congratulate the recipients of the National CSSP awards tonight. Thank you.
Lianhe Zaobao - 布采德岭居民加入社安计划三个月就抓获 “偷铜贼“
31 July 2008
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