LIFTS IN PUBLIC HOUSING (Security measures)

The following Question stood in the name of Dr Lee Tsao Yuan-

Dr Lee Tsao Yuan: To ask the Minister for National Development what measures have been and are being taken to enhance security in lifts in public housing.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: Question No. 10, Sir.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Mr Speaker, Sir, all HDB lifts are fitted with an anti-crime siren, which will automatically sound when there is an attempt to force open the lift door. This helps to deter crime in lifts.

Since October 1992, lifts in new HDB blocks have been fitted with glass vision panels on the lift doors. Older lifts are also being fitted with this feature when the blocks are upgraded under the Main Upgrading Programme. This deters crime as assaulters would risk being seen by people at the lift lobbies as the lifts pass by them.

Lifts in new HDB blocks also stop on every floor. This enhances security because there is less time for crime to be committed in the lifts.

HDB has also recently tested two new lift-crime prevention systems: the Lift Surveillance System and the Integrated Security System.

With the Lift Surveillance System, crimes in lifts will be captured on tape by a video camera installed in the lifts.

In the Integrated Security System, residents can only enter their block at one entrance point by using an access card. A visitor will have to call the resident via a call panel at the entrance and the resident can screen the visitor through his television set before opening the entrance gate.

HDB has included these security features in the list of upgrading items for selection by residents for the Main and Interim Upgrading Programme.

In addition to these physical measures, HDB has worked with the Police, particularly the Neighbourhood Police Post, to deter crime in HDB lifts. The number of cases of robbery, vandalism and snatch theft in HDB lifts has been decreasing over the years since 1991. Lift robberies fell from a high of 381 cases in 1991 to 51 cases in 1994. The number of vandalism cases fell from 173 in 1991 to 63 in 1994. The number of snatch thefts was also reduced from 57 in 1991 to 28 in 1994. Incidences of outrage of modesty, however, remained high. HDB will work harder with the Police to prevent this.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: Sir, would the Minister consider installing some measures like closed-circuit TV in the rental blocks of older HDB estates to ensure security, if they are not due for immediate upgrading?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Under the Lift Surveillance System and the Integrated Security System, they make use of closed-circuit TV. The Lift Surveillance System has a TV camera in the lift itself. It tapes whatever is going on in the lift and if a crime is committed, the Police will then just run through the tape. In the Integrated Security System, the camera at the entrance shows who is coming into the block and that is piped to the resident's TV set. So if he is free, he can always tune on to his TV set and he will know who is coming in and out of his block. All these provisions are available to the residents. And we leave it to the residents to decide for themselves whether or not they want to spend money on such features when they undertake the various items for upgrading during the upgrading programme. So we leave it to residents, depending on the situation in the blocks, whether they prefer to spend the money on such features or on other features. So the technology is there and the funds are available. It is up to the residents whether they want to incorporate these features or do other things.