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Certis CISCO Security Private Limited (Chinese: 策安保安机构), formerly CISCO Security Private Limited, is one of the five commercial Auxiliary Police forces authorised to provide armed security officers in Singapore to government organisations as well as private companies or individuals. It has its roots as a department of the Singapore Police Force (SPF), which branched out as the Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation (Chinese: 工商保安机构), a statutory board with a monopoly over most areas of the local private armed security industry.

From 1 June 2005, the statutory board was dissolved and Cisco Security Pte Ltd was formed upon its corporatisation as a fully-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, and inaugurated on 5 July 2005. The abbreviation of the former statutory board, "CISCO", was retained due to its reputation in the local market. The company was renamed as Certis CISCO Security Pte Ltd in 13 September 2007.

As the oldest Auxiliary Police Force with a monopoly over most of the private armed security sector in Singapore for 33 years, CISCO continues to leverage its relatively strong track record compared to its less-established competitors in the liberalised security sector. It maintains a visible presence in many key establishments, including the private residences of VVIPs, the Istana (as the Istana Police), the Supreme Court building, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Jurong Island and Singapore Changi Airport. They were deployed in major events such as the Singapore 2006 IMF Meetings, the New Year Countdown at Marina Bay in 2007 and 2008, the Chingay Parade and the Thaipusam processions. They also continue to dominate some services such as the transportation of valuables, most visibly in the form of delivering cash to automated teller machines.

History

Origins

CISCO came into being in 1972 in the wake of a police employment scheme review by a committee led by Professor Lee Soo Ann a year earlier. It recommended that the Singapore Police Force's Guard and Escort Unit (守卫及护卫组), itself formed in 1958, be hived off as a statutory board of the Government of Singapore, in a bid to relieve manpower constraints on the SPF by empowering the new statutory board with the ability to conduct its own recruitment schemes tailored specifically for armed security services.

At its dissolution, the Guard and Escort Unit had a strength of 1,600 police officers, who received the same training as their counterparts in police divisions, and are mostly deployed as guards in commercial banks. The new statutory board absorbed most of these regular officers, although the committee recommended the early retirement of 460 older officers, with an enhances pension scheme offered to them as compensation. A recruitment drive was also initiated on 1 April to recruit other police officers and boost its strength to 2,000.

CISCO, as a separate statutory board, became Singapore's only commercial entity offering armed security services. Its policemen continue to receive training via a 7-week residential training course at the CISCO Police Training School, which is adjacent to the Police Academy at Thomson Road, with training assistance from the Academy. Over time, the course was streamlined to fit their specific operation needs, and instruction was gradually taken over by fellow CISCO officers. CISCO police officers were dressed largely similar to their counterparts in the Singapore Police Force, and CISCO vehicles were also largely similar, except with the addition of a CISCO logo. CISCO officers were paid a salary of about S$650 in the 1970s.

Diversification

In the next decades, the company diversified its operations beyond the provisioning of armed guards, providing a range of security-related services, including enforcement, management, and consultancy services for not just physical, but also data and IT-related needs. In 1991, the board's new chief executive, Chan Boon Kiong initiated wide-ranging changes to turn the company round into a commercial entity with an annual turnover of S$200 million, with diversifications into various aspects of security. As the company began to diversify, its traditional armed police operations were organised under the name of CISCO Auxiliary Police under the Product Division, together with the CISCO Recall Total Information Management Pte Ltd and other specialised departments. It also began to expand abroad, having first established a a joint venture with Zhong-Bao Security Industry Company in China in July 1995 with a 60% stake.

CISCO officially opened its new Headquarters building at Jalan Affifi off Upper Paya Lebar Road on 20 June 1986, which then boasted some of the most modern facilities including the first computerised indoor shooting range in Singapore. On 2 March 1994, work commenced to extend the CISCO Headquarters building to incorporate facilities to process and store high-value items and a computer disaster recovery centre. The SCORE Counselling Centre was opened in the building on 5 December 1996.

CISCO entered into a joint venture with Brambles Industries Ltd from Australia in May 1996 with a 51% stake to form CISCO Recall Total Information Management Pte Ltd as part of its foray into the information management industry. On 8 June 1999, the first purpose-built CISCO Recall Centre was officially opened, which included a 43-metre high document storage facility, the tallest single-storey building in Singapore. A second CISCO Recall Centre was opened in Chin Bee Avenue on 10 September 2003, by which time the company's CISCO Recall service has 33 government agencies amongst its clients.

By 1998, the company has over 2,000 clients which has installed security systems linked to CISCO's alarm monitoring system, an increase of 25% since 1996. This included some 500 private homes which paid between S$2000 to S$1million for such systems. CISCO entered into a joint-venture with the National Library Board on 21 June 1999 to establish a digital signature certification authority service.

CISCO manned the Area Licensing Scheme gantries in 1975 until the introduction of Electronic Road Pricing in September 1998, where 105 officers were redeployed. CISCO officers began to assist the Traffic Police as traffic wardens to curb illegal parking on 1 November 1999. Over 12,100 parking violation notices were subsequently issued in the next two months, prompting their implimentation in more areas to allow the Traffic Police to concentrate on enforcing traffic rules on the move.

During the height of the SARS crisis, CISCO officers were deployed to serve Home Quarantine Orders at the residents homes and install CCTVs at their homes. These were enforced by about 60 officers, who were given the power to electronically tag those who violate the order Their high-risk duty was mentioned for praise during the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's National Day Rally Speech in 2003

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, CISCO reported an increase in business as a result of heightened security demands. From November 2004, CISCO officers were deployed to assist in enforcing sensitive locations such as Jurong Island. CISCO ventured into professional investigation services in 2005.

Corporatisation

Over the years, the license to provide armed security services has been extended to other companies, including the Auxiliary Police Forces operated by PSA Corporation, Changi International Airport Services, Singapore Airport Terminal Services, and Singapore Technologies Kinetics, although these officers have their policing powers restricted to their areas of operation. In the wake of rising security concerns, the government decided to introduce greater competition in the armed security service industry.

As a result of measure to create a more level playing field, the CISCO Act was dissolved, and CISCO ceased being a statutory board, corporatised as a fully-government owned company, and coming under the same legislative and regulatory guidelines as the other Auxiliary Police Forces. The new company will not longer utilise the Singapore Police Force's crest, and changes will be made to the uniforms of its police officers, in line with its counterparts in the armed security industry.

To minimise disruptions during the corporatisation process, the Ministry of Home Affairs transferred all of its former statutory board's assets, liabilities, staff and contracts to the new company, and did not give it a moratorium since the statutory board has already engaged in commercial services. The new company took over all businesses the statutory board had engaged in, and is now liberated to enter or exit from contracts based on its own commercial interests.

On 1 June 2005, the corporatisation process was completed and the new CISCO Security Private Limited formed.

Incidents

• An aggressive man attempting to grab the service revolver of a CISCO Constable, Ling Hong Chui, was shot dead by the officer at a night club in Mayo Street on 21 January 1974.
• On 29 December 1975, CISCO Constable Liew Tiong King, 25, was injured by a gun shot accidentally fired from a detective's gun during a scuffle at the Golden World Cabaret in Eu Tong Sen Street.
• On 11 April 1976, CISCO Constable Chew Chong Hock, 46, was killed by a young man who shot him twice at his sentry post off the runway at Singapore International Airport.
• On 24 May 1977, two robbers escaped with S$12,000 robbed from the United Overseas Bank's Selegie House branch after fatally shooting CISCO Constable Encik Shahdan Bin Mohamed Ason, 52.
• CISCO Constable Tan Guan Seng, 31, was found murdered and robbed on 2 July 1980 with multiple wounds at his home on Pulau Ubin, where he performed escort duties for explosives.
• CISCO Constable Shaharuddin Zakaria's body was pulled out of the rubble after the Hotel New World disaster on 15 March 1986. He was guarding the Industrial and Commercial Bank branch on the building's ground floor at the time of the building's collapse.
• On 26 September 1995, Constable Jumat Katty, 37, foiled a rare case of armed bank robbery by four men at a POSBank branch in King George's Avenue. At least two shots were fired at the officer, who suffered minor wounds from splintered glass on his cheek. No one was hurt in the incident. The officer was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal a day later and given a monetary award of S$650.
• On 7 March 2003, Lance Corporal Rahim Othman, 47, was murdered by his ex-colleague at the Bukit Panjang Telecommunications station where he was performing sentry duty. His assailant, Ismail Abdul Rahman, 37, who fired three shots into the officer's body and right thigh, surrendered himself three hours after the shooting to the police. The gun used belonged to LCP Rahim. CISCO came forth to reassure the public that their officers are well-trained. Ismail was subsequently sentenced to death.
• On 9 November 2004, a CISCO officer, Lance Corporal Mohamed Ghazali Arifin, 43, successfully prevented a robbery at the Maybank branch in Upper Bukit Timah Road by firing two rounds at Brian Khoo, 43, hitting him in the head and shoulder. Khoo survived, and was sentenced to four and a half years' jail and nine strokes of the cane.

Uniforms

Given its former affiliation with the Singapore Police Force, CISCO officers wore the same dark blue uniform as that of the police force when it was formed in 1972. As the sole private armed security agency, and with several sensitive roles passed on to CISCO, the uniforms were kept similar such that the general public would not be able to tell CISCO officers from regular police officers unless under close scrutiny. The primary distinguishing feature was of a black plastic nametag with a white border, as opposed to the plain all-black name tags worn by the police regulars.

As a result of several uniform reviews both by CISCO and the police in subsequent decades, however, it became easier to distinguish CISCO officers. The blue beret and long-sleeved shirts, phased out in favour of the peaked cap and shirt-sleeved shirts for most normal police officers, was still retaind in the CISCO uniform. Similarly, CISCO retained the old metallic cap badges and collar lapels although they were replaced with embroidered versions in the SPF.

When CISCO was corporatised as CISCO Security on 1 June 2005, officers continued to don the old uniforms pending a review of their uniforms. Under governmental direction, the uniform was modified to inject distinguishing features between them and that of those worn by officers of the SPF to foster a more level playing field with other Auxiliary Police Forces in Singapore. From 15 June 2005, all 3,200 uniformed CISCO personal switched to the new uniforms.

The new uniforms saw the adoption of a new corporate colour, steel blue, and the material was changed from pure polyester to poly viscose. New buttons and badges on the cap and collars incorporating CISCO's logo were used in place of similar logos to the regular police force. The leather belt was changed from black to brown, as is a band around the peak cap. There is also a horizontal cutting across the chest from one pocket to the other.

While the new uniform was implemented across the company, some officers tasked to perform specific roles were exempt from the change, in particular those involving provision of security for sensitive locations or personnel, such as the Istana, the Supreme Court building and the private residences of VVIPs. Close resemblance of the old CISCO uniform with that of the regular police has allowed the latter to outsource sensitive roles, yet providing a visual impression of continued police presence. This practise was thus continued at sensitive locations despite the introduction of the new uniforms.

Issues

There has been cases of Certis CISCO officers becoming the subject of criticism on occasion, including a recent complaint against an officer for his lack of flexibility while on duty at the Singapore General Hospital.

While rare, there were cases of officers running foul of the law.

• 21 CISCO Constables were charged with using counterfeit medical certificates on 23 June 1998 and subsequently fired.

• On 12 August 1999, a CISCO officer, Abdul Latif Mohamad, 32, was charged for misappropriation of S$1200 while working at DBS bank.
• CISCO officer Loh Chong Hong, 22, was charged for negligence after accidentally firing a round from his service revolver while on duty at a goldsmith shop at North Bridge Road on 7 September 1999.
• On 14 November 2006, a CISCO officer, Loqmanul Hakim Buang, 23, was arrested for shoplifting. Dressed in uniform and carrying his service weapon, he had walked into Sheng Siong Hypermart in Jurong, and calmly attempted to walk out carrying two DVD players. He was charged with on 16 November.

Corruption

From July 1999, CISCO implemented measures to curb corruption amongst its officers in the midst of several publicised cases of corruption involving CISCO Officers. These included requiring all officers to undergo psychological tests before being posted to vulnerable posts such as checkpoints. Officers were put on more frequent rotations such that they do not serve the same post for more than a year. Deployments will be announced only on the day of duty, and all officers much declare any money they carry before and after their shifts. Officers with extravagant lifestyles were identified and monitored, with supect cases reported to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. Officers were educated on the consequences of corruption, and were given channels to report any corruption practises. Cases of officers who refuse to accept bribes were given publicity in the press.

• On 30 December 1999, CISCO officers Goh Kim Huat, 25, and Ganesan Vijayakamaran, 24 were charged for accepted bribes during inspection of their cargo and vehicles.
• CISCO Lcp Mohammad Nasir Salleh and Constable Mohammad Sharani Rais, both 32, were commended for turning down a S$30 bribe from a trailer driver on 9 June 2001.

Suicide

As an armed organisation, there has been cases of CISCO officers committing or attempting to commit suicide with their service revolvers, although few cases were actually attributed to work-related issues.

• In November 1995, CISCO officer Mohamad Salim Yusof, 31, used his service revolver to kill himself.
• On 26 December 1995, 27-year-old Constable Anwar Hussain was found dead in his Bukit Merah flat with a gunshot wound to his chest.
• On 17 September 1999, a 46-year-old CISCO Lance Corporal shot himself in the chest while on duty at the Keppel-Tat Lee Bank branch in the HDB Centre at Bukit Merah. The bullet went through his body and injured the ear of a bank credit officer behind him. Both recovered from their injuries.
• On 23 April 2002, 50-year-old officer, Constable R. Sathasivam, shot himself in the head after failing in his attempt to murder his estranged wife at her workplace in the Institute of South East Asian Studies. As a result of this incident, all officers were no longer allowed to commute on public or private transport from their workplace to the headquarters building in Paya Lebar, and are to report immediately between the headquarters and workplace via transportation provided by the security company.
• On 19 September 2004, CISCO Constable Fauzi Mohamad Noor 23, believed to have just ended a relationship with his girlfriend, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head at the Tuas Checkpoint where he was on duty.

See also

• Aetos Security Management Private Limited
• SATS Security Services
• Singapore Police Force

References

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• Policing Singapore in the 19th & 20th centuries, 2002
• Privatisation of CISCO
• Amendment of the Singapore Police Force act
• CISCO officers to get newly designed uniforms

External links

• Certis CISCO Security Pte Ltd

• Auxiliary police forces in Singapore
• Singapore Police Force
• Companies established in 2005