The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has a new inspector in town. Inspector Clif is the police force’s new digital avatar.
This new feature, launched on Friday, Nov 29, will allow online users to ask him security and safety-related questions on Facebook.
The name Clif is an acronym for the police force’s important central pillars- courage, loyalty, integrity, and fairness.
The avatar was created with the purpose of strengthening crime prevention and deterrence measures. It is also to connect with the public more via an online platform.
Inspector Clif will also be supporting SPF’s social media campaigns to manage cases such as property-related crime, scams and traffic issues.
The avatar will have it’s own Facebook account that the public can follow. It will constantly feature posts that will share useful information on crime prevention measures and of the current safety and security issues.
Inspector Clif will also walk the public through the everyday life of a police officer and provide an exclusive insight into their work lives. He will also safety and security related advice to other Facebook pages.
Replicating the role of an actual police officer, Inspector Clif has been designed to relay such information to the public in a friendly and approachable manner, to make SPF’s online presence more recognised, relatable and personable.
The police said that Inspector Clif was developed as a gateway for Singaporeans to keep up with the current digital consumption trends and to connect with the rising number of Singaporeans who use online platforms as a source for information and for interaction.
The police force aims for Inspector Clif to be the online platform that is frequented by the public to get information on safety and security issues in Singapore.
This is not the first time that the SPF has engaged in technology efforts for improving its operations and to enhance their capabilities of serving the citizens.
It was reported in an earlier OpenGov article that SPF, together with OCBC had launched a new automated data retrieval process that will allow for a more efficient and quicker course of solving financial crimes.
This automated process is an upgraded solution for detecting and apprehending criminal and terrorist networks, with such illicit operations becoming more complex today.
The two agencies had collaborated under Project POET (Production Orders: Electronic Transmission). The automation of this process will allow for law enforcement agencies to retrieve banking information required for investigations within a shorter length of time.
With more financial transactions moving into the digital space, it is imperative for law enforcement agencies to have the fastest access to information and data which are required for investigations. This new process will allow banks and law enforcement agencies to work closely together and as efficiently as possible.
The previous process administered by between the police force and OCBC required a manual retrieving of banking information to be delivered to law enforcement officers. With an extensive volume of information at hand, it was dependent on manpower to get the work down as quickly as possible. Adding more people for the monitoring of transactions is not sustainable in the long run. Project POET will allow for law enforcement agencies to retrieve data at a faster rate and with less labour intensity.
This next-generation automated data retrieval system will also be useful in detecting malicious activities that are hard for humans to detect.
