National Police Cadet Corps
The National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) is one of the national uniformed group for youths in Singapore. As of 2011, the organisation has 16,185 members, with 14,850 of them being cadets.[1] With the support of two ministries, namely the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Home Affairs, the latter of which the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is part of, the organisation has grown from being a relative newcomer compared to other uniformed groups, to being one of the more well-established ones in terms of reputation, standards, and acceptability among the youths of Singapore and their parents.
| National Police Cadet Corps | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the National Police Cadet Corps | |
 Flag of the National Police Cadet Corps | |
| Abbreviation | NPCC |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 8 May, 1959 |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Volunteers | 16,185 (2011) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Singapore |
| Constituting instruments |
|
| Operational structure | |
| Overviewed by | Home Team Corps Council |
| Headquarters | Home Team Academy |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent agency | Ministry of Home Affairs / Ministry of Education |
| School Units | 131 (2020) |
| Facilities | |
| Campsites | NPCC Camp Resilience, 80 Jalan Noordin, Pulau Ubin, Singapore 506995 |
| Website | |
| www | |
The current Commandant of NPCC is Superintendent of Police Hoo Poh Heng. The Chairperson of the 2nd HTC Council is Associate Professor Stephen Phua Lye Huat from the Law Faculty of the National University of Singapore.
Uniform
As NPCC is affiliated with the SPF, the different dresses of NPCC is similar to the SPF's, which is as follows:
| Dress Type | Description | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| No. 1 (Ceremonial Dress) | White long-sleeved tunic and black long pants (boys) / skirt (girls) | – Usually reserved for events such as the NPCC Annual Parade.
– An embroidered NPCC crest is fitted to the beret. – No badges are to be attached to the tunic for Cadets and Cadet Inspectors (except for the 'Guard of Honour' badge worn by the NPAP GOH contingent). – Male Cadet Inspectors and Officers wear a peak cap, while females wear a bowler hat. |
| No. 3 (Working Attire) | Dark blue shirt and long pants (boys) / Dark blue blouse and skirt (girls) | – Worn by the majority of NPCC units.
– A metal NPCC crest is fitted to the beret. – Badges are attached above both of the chest pockets. – Station Inspectors wear a yellow flash on their beret. – Male Cadet Inspectors and Officers wear a peak cap, while females wear a bowler hat. – A bush jacket version is issued to Officers. |
| No. 4
(Combat attire) |
Dark blue long-sleeved shirt and trousers | – Worn by the minority of NPCC (Sea) units.
– An embroidered NPCC crest is fitted to the beret. – Badges are attached above the right chest pocket and pasted and attached above the left chest pocket. – All members wear a beret (on land) and jockey cap (onboard), regardless of rank. – Station Inspectors, Cadet Inspectors and Officers wear a yellow flash on their beret |
| No. 5 (Special functions uniform) | White long-sleeved shirt, NPCC tie and dark blue trousers/skirt | – Issued to Officers only.
– Commonly worn during Cadet Inspectors' Basic Training Course investiture and Officers' Basic Training Course investiture. |
Ranks
As NPCC is affiliated with the SPF, the ranks of NPCC are similar to the SPF's. However, it is important to note that NPCC ranks have the suffix 'NPCC' on it, to distinguish these ranks from the ranks of the SPF's. The ranks of NPCC are as follows:
Cadets
The following ranks are the ranks that NPCC cadets can attain as a secondary school student. The criteria for promotion to the next rank (e.g.: attainment of proficiency badges, attendance rate, etc.) are decided differently among units. After a cadet has gone through his unit's Cadet Leader Camp, the cadet will be appointed as a Cadet Leader (also known as Non-Commissioned Officer) in his unit (e.g.: Unit OIC, Unit Drill Instructor, etc.) All cadets will step down after going through their Area's Passing-Out Parade before they take their GCE 'O' Level Examinations or equivalent.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Cadet | CDT (NPCC) | – Secondary One cadets officially receive this rank when they are sworn in at their Area's Swearing-In Ceremony.
– Some NPCC units name this rank as 'Private'. – Has no rank insignia. |
| Lance Corporal | LCP (NPCC) | - Has an insignia of one chevron. |
| Corporal | CPL (NPCC) | - Has an insignia of two chevrons. |
| Sergeant | SGT (NPCC) | - Has an insignia of three chevrons. |
| Staff Sergeant | SSGT (NPCC) | - Has an insignia of one Singapore coat of arms, and three chevrons. |
| Station Inspector | SI (NPCC) | – Cadets who attain this rank wear a yellow flash on their beret.
– Has an insignia of two inverted chevrons, one Singapore coat of arms and a garland. |
Cadet Inspectors
Cadet Inspectors are secondary school graduands who wish to voluntarily contribute more to their school unit. Cadet Inspectors have to undergo a Cadet Inspectors' Basic Training Course before they attain the rank of Probationary Cadet Inspector. They are involved in events like the NPCC Annual Parade, the Singapore Youth Festival opening ceremony, area camps, the Singapore National Day Parade and school unit training sessions.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Cadet Inspector Trainee | CIT (NPCC) | – Ex-cadets who are going through the 3-week-long Cadet Inspectors Basic Training Course will hold this rank.
– Has an insignia of one white stripe. |
| Probationary Cadet Inspector | P/CI (NPCC) | – Cadet Inspector Trainees who successfully completed their Cadet Inspectors Basic Training Course will attain this rank.
– Has an insignia of one pip and one white stripe. |
| Cadet Inspector | CI (NPCC) | – Probationary Cadet Inspectors who have successfully passed their probationary period will attain this rank.
– Same insignia as Probationary Cadet Inspector. |
| Senior Cadet Inspector | SCI (NPCC) | – Cadet Inspectors who have served for more than 2 years are eligible for promotion to this rank.
– Has an insignia of one pip and two white stripes. |
Officers
Promotion of NPCC Officers and Honorary Officers is based on availability of vacancy and performance.
Honorary Officers
Honorary Officers are voluntary adult leaders who contribute to NPCC in either training or administration matters and have the letter 'H' in their rank to distinguish them from Teacher Officers. They are mostly undergraduates from Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore, but some are working adults who have served the Corps for a long time. Honorary Officers must also go through an Honorary Officers' Basic Training Course (HOBTC), and must also have at least a Diploma or its equivalent.
Teacher Officers
Teacher Officers are teachers who have been appointed by the Principal of their school to take charge of their school's NPCC CCA. They must first undergo a 2-week-long Officer's Basic Training Course (OBTC) before attaining the rank of Probationary Inspector (NPCC).
| Rank | Abbreviation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Cadet Trainee | OCT(NPCC) | – New rank implemented in 2017.
– Teachers/volunteers who are going through the 2-week long OBTC or HOBTC will attain this rank. – Has an insignia of two white stripes. |
| Probationary Inspector | P/INSP (NPCC) P/H/INSP (NPCC) | – Officer Cadet Trainees who have successfully completed their OBTC or HOBTC will attain this rank.
– Honorary Officers (HOs) have the letter 'H' before their rank to identify themselves as HOs. – Has a rank insignia of two pips. |
| Inspector | INSP(NPCC)
H/INSP (NPCC) |
– Probationary Inspectors who have successfully passed their probationary period will attain this rank.
– Same insignia as Probationary Inspector. |
| Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police | A/ASP(NPCC) | – Inspectors whom have not attained the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police[(ASP(NPCC)] but have been appointed to be the Officer Commanding of their unit will hold this rank.
– Has a rank insignia of one Singapore coat of arms. |
| Assistant Superintendent of Police | ASP (NPCC)
H/ASP (NPCC) |
– Officers holding ASP rank and above will have a single row silver braid on the visor of their peak cap/bowler hat.
– Same insignia as Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police. |
| Acting Deputy Superintendent of Police | A/DSP (NPCC) | – NPCC HQ appointment holders who have not attained the rank of DSP (NPCC)
– Has a rank insignia of one Singapore coat of arms and a pip. |
| Deputy Superintendent of Police | DSP (NPCC)
H/DSP (NPCC) |
– Highest rank attainable by a NPCC officer.
– Same insignia as Acting Deputy Superintendent of Police. |
Honorary Instructors
Honorary Instructors are adult leaders of at least age 21 who contribute to NPCC mostly in the area of training. They are not required to go through any training course, though male Honorary Instructors must have completed their National Service. instructors formerly held the now-defunct rank of Senior Station Inspector or Senior Cadet Inspector, regardless of whether they were formerly Cadet Inspectors. However, from 2006, the Honorary Instructor scheme was changed to a non-uniformed scheme.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Honorary Instructor | HI (NPCC) | |
| Senior Honorary Instructor | SHI (NPCC) | – Honorary Instructors who have served for more than 6 years are eligible for promotion to this rank. |
| Master Honorary Instructor | MHI (NPCC) | – Senior Honorary Instructors who have served for more than 6 years are eligible for promotion to this rank. |
Activities
Unit level
Training may be held once or twice a week, depending on the unit.
- Physical Training
Cadets undergo warm up first before they engage in exercises like crunches, push ups and jumping jacks and running. Cadets are required to change to their Physical Training Kit (their unit, area or squad tee and black/dark blue track pants with sports shoes/school shoes) before doing PT. - Recreational Training Recreational Training is usually held to allow cadets to relax and unwind. It usually consists of team-bonding games such as Captain's Ball or Dodgeball. However, it is not carried out often to maintain discipline and because of the limited time that units have to train.
- Drills Training
Foot drills are taught to cadets to instill discipline and build teamwork. Drills taught are foot drills, baton drills (using baton holders attached to the belt of the uniform) and rifle drills (using plastic M16 rifles). - Classroom Lectures
Classroom lectures are organised by Teacher Officers or Police Officers to give cadets an insight of Police work, NPCC and National Education. These lessons includes Total Defence, Crime Prevention, Police Procedure and Basic Law. Classroom lectures are meant to equip the cadets with a basic knowledge of the Singapore Police Force and also basic crime prevention skills, which is very useful in their daily life. - Marksmanship
Cadets will get the opportunity to fire the .22 Smith & Wesson revolver and the Colt M16 rifle (NPCC Sea cadets only) in Secondary 3, as part of Marksmanship training. During weapon training sessions, cadets are always accompanied by Field Instructors from NPCC HQ who are police officers and Teacher Officers from the units involved with the day's weapon training course. This ensures the safety of cadets involved in the shooting sessions. NPCC Cadets shooting the .22 Smith and Wesson Revolver will have a chance to attain the Marksmanship Proficientcy Badge which displays a target and a revolver. Officers have the opportunity to fire the .38 Taurus Model 85 revolver, the standard issue revolver used by the Singapore Police Force. - Personal Development
Other courses such as the Kayaking, First Aid, Swimming and Life Saving badge programmes are not compulsory for units to take part in, but helps to develop the cadets holistically.
As a result of going for courses, cadets can attain proficiency badges.[2]
Area level
- Camp Resilience
The Camp Resilience was opened officially on 10 August 2004 on Pulau Ubin. It comprises two camps, Kampong Noordin and Kampong Bahru which are used for area Adventure Training Camps (ATC) for Secondary 2 cadets, Survival Training Camps (STC) for Secondary 3 cadets and High Rope Challenges (HRC) for Secondary 4 cadets.
School/Headquarters/National level
- Parades Selected cadets can participate in parades such as their school's National Day Parade (School level), the NPCC Annual Parade (Headquarters level), the Singapore Youth Festival and the Singapore National Day Parade (National level).
- Cadet Leader Drill Course (CLC) Cadets who are selected to attend this course are taught more about Cadet Leadership, and other things such as advanced foot drills.
- Overseas Educational Visits (OEV)[3]
OEVs are held at the Headquarters level.
- Brunei
A 5-day educational visit for selected secondary 2 cadets which includes exchanges with the Royal Brunei Police Force and Royal Brunei Police Cadet Force (PKP). The cadets from both sides will have the opportunity to meet, interact and learn from each other.
- Hong Kong
A 5-day educational visit for selected secondary 3 cadets which includes exchanges with the Hong Kong Police Force and Hong Kong Junior Police Call (JPC). The cadets from both sides will have the opportunity to meet, interact and learn from each other.
Awards
Cadets
- SPF-NPCC Badge
The SPF-NPCC Badge was first launched in 1997 to give recognition to cadets with good leadership qualities and outstanding achievements. It is the highest award badge that cadets can vie for.[4]
- Best Unit Cadet Badge
The Best Unit Cadet (BUC) award badge is awarded to two cadets for a mixed gender unit and one cadet for a single gender unit.
Cadet Inspectors and Officers
- Commissioner of Police Awards
- Individual Commendation
- Individual Testimonial
- Team Commendation
- Team Testimonial
- Service Medals (Officers only)[5]
- NPCC Service Medal (5 Years)
- NPCC Long Service Medal (10 Years)
A Clasp may be awarded to recipients of the NPCC Long Service Medal on the completion of each further 5‑year period of continuous and unbroken qualifying service subsequent to the date of completion of qualifying service for the NPCC Long Service Medal.
Milestones
Laying the Groundwork
1959 – A pilot scheme was launched whereby a Police Cadet Corps (PCC) Unit was set up on an experimental basis. Bartley Secondary School formed the first unit with 30 cadets and a teacher officer.
2 June 1961 – The Police Cadet Corps Ordinance was enacted. All schools were given the approval to set up PCC units. Siglap Secondary School and Serangoon Garden Government High School were the first to form such units.
1963 – The PCC and the National Cadet Corps (NCC) came under the administration of the Ministry of Education (MOE) with the Director of Education as the Director of Cadet Forces and in the following year, the PCC recruited girl cadets. Two new units were formed in the Raffles Girls' School and Sang Nila Utama Secondary School.
1968 – Formation signs were introduced for unit identity.
1969 – With the integration of PCC, Army, Air & Sea, the PCC was renamed National Cadet Corps (Police).
Consolidating The Ground
1970 – Cadet Inspectors' unit was formed from students in pre-university classes.
1971 – The NCC (Police) was renamed National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC). The NPCC band was also formed in the same year.
1972 – The "grey and khaki" uniform was changed to the present all-blue.
1974 – The NPCC Council was established by an Act of Parliament.
1 April 1975 – The NPCC Council was inaugurated by the Minister for Education.
1976 – The NPCC Band recruited girl cadets.
1979 – The NPCC service medals and clasps were introduced for officers and a year later, Proficiency Badges for cadets were introduced.
Manoeuvering The Ground
1980 – This period of time saw many initiatives being introduced to the Corps: the proficiency badges were introduced in 1980 in the hope of generating greater interest and opening up avenues to challenge cadets to achieve and excel.
1982 – The NUS NPCC Unit was established in 1982 to allow ex-cadets to continue their involvement in the Corps. These ex-cadets are known as "Honorary Officers".
1983 – The NPCC Pledge and NPCC March were introduced in 1983 and 1984 respectively to nurture a distinct NPCC Culture.
1984 – The objectives of the Corps was modified in 1984 to reflect the intellectual dimension and national concerns while retaining the traditional emphases.
1987 – The NPCC Pulau Ubin Camp Site was officially declared open in 1987.
Soaring Above The Ground
1991 – NTU NPCC Unit was established in 1991. In the same year, the training wing of NPCC HQ assisted in the training of police officers in campcraft who were scheduled to go on their first UN Peace Keeping Mission in Namibia.
1994 – The Corps came closer to realise its dream to develop an NPCC Camp that could accommodate 750 campers when the Urban Redevelopment Authority leased to it a 26-hectare piece of land in Pulau Ubin in 1994.
1996 – The NPCC Mission Statement and Core Beliefs were formulated and adopted in 1996 to root the Corps in a strong and purposeful philosophy.
1997 – The most prestigious of the NPCC Badges – the SPF-NPCC Badge – was unveiled in 1997 and was awarded to 10 cadets in that same year during the NPCC Day Parade.
September 2000 – The idea to explore the set-up of the NPCC (Sea) Unit first surfaced during a meeting on the progress of the new NPCC campsite at Pulau Ubin. The meeting involved Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chairman NPCC Council and Commandant NPCC.
27 November 2001 – NPCC council gave in-principle approval to start the NPCC (Sea) Unit in two schools namely; Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Springfield Secondary School.
January 2002 – The two schools initiated recruitment of cadets for the sea units.
20 April 2002 – The new NPCC Ceremonial Flag was launched during the NPCC Day Parade.
15 January 2003 – The two sea units were launched on together with the ground -breaking ceremony for the Loyang Regional Base.
2005 – Pioneer batch of Non-Commissioned Officers took over as the new leaders of the NPCC (Sea) units in Singapore.
2006 – Raffles Girls' School initiated recruitment of girl cadets for its all girls sea unit, the first in Singapore.
2006 – New Town Secondary School and Hwa Chong Institution become the first two units to receive the Unit Excellence Award for ten consecutive Unit Overall Proficiency Gold Awards at the annual NPCC day parade 2006.
2008 – Maris Stella High School NPCC Unit received their Unit Excellence Award for ten consecutive Unit Overall Proficiency Gold Award at the annual NPCC day parade 2008, thus making them the third unit in Singapore to receive this award.
18 April 2009 – NPCC marked its 50th anniversary at its annual NPCC day parade celebrations at the Home Team Academy. Victoria School and Cedar Girls' Secondary School NPCC Unit received their Unit Excellence Award for ten consecutive Unit Overall Proficiency Gold Award at the annual NPCC day parade 2009, thus making them the fourth and fifth unit in Singapore to receive this award. This also marks Cedar Girls' as the first all girls unit to be awarded the Unit Excellence Award for ten consecutive Unit Overall Proficiency Gold Award.
8 January 2011 – NPCC and National Civil Defence Cadet Corps held the Farewell Parade for NPCC Council Chairman Charles Chong.
2017 - NPCC and NCDCC are under a new, single administrative body called the Home Team Corps Council.
2019 - NPCC celebrated its 60th anniversary at its annual NPCC Annual Parade at the Home Team Academy.
People
Commandants
Commandant, Volunteer Special Constabulary/Police Cadet Corps
- Supt Ng Leng Hock (1961–1962)
- DSP J. Matthew (1962–1963)
- Supt Lim Seng Huat (1963–1965)
- DSP Tan Teck Keng (1965–1966)
- DSP Yap Boon Keng (1966–1967)
Commandant, Police Cadet Corps
- Supt Niaz Mohd Shah (1967–1969)
Commandant, National Cadet Corps (Police)
- Supt Niaz Mohd Shah (1969-3 February 1969)
- DSP AG Fernandez (4 February 1969 – 21 April 1969)
- Supt Niaz Mohd Shah (22 April 1969 – 29 July 1971)
Commandant, National Police Cadet Corps
- Supt Niaz Mohd Shah (20 July 1971 – 18 October 1971)
- ASP Wong Chek Sung (18 October 1971 – 31 January 1972)
- Ag DSP Oh Chwee Hock (1 February 1972 – 9 May 1973)
- Ag DSP VE Jacobs (10 May 1973 – 31 December 1973)
- Ag DSP Ram Naidu (1 January 1974 – 28 April 1974)
- Ag Supt Simon Cornelius (29 April 1974 – 30 April 1977)
- Ag Supt Jalaluddin Yusok (1 May 1977 – 30 September 1977)
- Ag Supt Chong Seck Kong (1 October 1977 – 15 August 1979)
- DSP CJ Ballard (16 August 1979 – 31 December 1984)
- DSP Xavier Lim (4 January 1985 – 9 January 1989)
- DSP II Alan Khoo (10 January 1989 – 28 March 1992)
- Ag DSP Lee Nai Kong (10 February 1992 – 17 October 1993)
- Ag Supt Chin Lee Poh (18 October 1993 – 21 September 1996)
- Ag DSP Yong Khin Chong (22 September 1996 – 30 June 2000)
- Supt Kui Yong Sin (1 July 2000 – 2004)
- Supt Geraldine Tan Sock Koon (2004–2007)
- Supt Rosalind Khoo (2008–11 July 2011)
- Supt Mohd Redhza bin Abdul Rahim (11 July 2011 – 2014)
- Supt Hoo Poh Heng (2014–Present)
See also
- Singapore Police Force
- National Police Cadet Corps Alumni Association (Singapore)
References
General
Specific
- "National Police Cadet Corps Annual Report 2011" (PDF). National Police Cadet Corps. 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- "National Police Cadet Corps". www.npcc.org.sg. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- "National Police Cadet Corps, NPCC". www.npcc.org.sg.
- "National Police Cadet Corps". www.npcc.org.sg.
- "Home Team Corps (Long Service Medal) Regulations 2018 - Singapore Statutes Online". sso.agc.gov.sg.
External links
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) Official Site
- National Police Cadet Corps Alumni Association (Singapore)
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