Statute Details
- Title: Cessation of Auxiliary Police Force
- Act Code: PFA2004-S568-2002
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (notification)
- Legislative Instrument No.: S 568
- Authorising Act: Police Force Act (Chapter 235)
- Status: Current version as at 26 Mar 2026
- Key Effective Date: 1 November 2002
- Principal Subject: Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force
- Key Amendment: Deletion of Item (6) of the Notification relating to the Auxiliary Police Forces (N 1)
What Is This Legislation About?
The “Cessation of Auxiliary Police Force” instrument is a short subsidiary legal notification made under the Police Force Act (Cap. 235). In plain terms, it formally ends the status of a specific auxiliary police force—namely, the Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force—as an “Auxiliary Police Force” under the statutory framework.
Auxiliary police forces are typically established to support policing functions in defined contexts, and their legal status matters because it determines whether the organisation’s personnel are recognised under the Police Force Act regime as auxiliary police. This notification does not create new powers or offences; instead, it performs a status change: it removes a particular auxiliary police force from the category of auxiliary police forces.
The instrument also makes a consequential amendment by deleting a specific item in an earlier notification (referred to as “Notification relating to the Auxiliary Police Forces (N 1)”). This deletion is important because it ensures the earlier legal listing of auxiliary police forces no longer includes the Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Cessation of the Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force (effective 1 November 2002)
The core operative provision states that it is “hereby notified for general information” that the Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force will cease to be an Auxiliary Police Force, with effect from 1st November 2002. This is the legal “switch-off” of the auxiliary police status for that particular force.
For practitioners, the key point is that the cessation is not merely administrative. It is a formal legal termination of the force’s classification. As a result, the auxiliary police designation—and any legal consequences that flow from being an auxiliary police force under the Police Force Act—no longer applies after the effective date.
2. Deletion of Item (6) of the earlier Auxiliary Police Forces notification
The instrument further provides that Item (6) of the Notification relating to the Auxiliary Police Forces (N 1) is deleted. This is a classic legislative technique: when a named entity is removed from a schedule/listing, the instrument deletes the relevant item so that the consolidated legal position reflects the cessation.
In practice, this means that if a lawyer or enforcement authority consults the earlier “N 1” notification to determine which auxiliary police forces exist, the Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force will no longer appear as an auxiliary police force after the amendment.
3. Scope is narrow and targeted
Although the instrument is made under the Police Force Act, its scope is narrow. It does not purport to affect other auxiliary police forces, nor does it amend the Police Force Act itself. The notification is targeted at one auxiliary police force and one item in the earlier listing.
This narrow scope is legally significant: it reduces ambiguity about whether other auxiliary police forces remain in existence. Unless another instrument separately amends or revokes their status, the cessation applies only to the Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force.
4. “General information” and legal effect
The wording “hereby notified for general information” is commonly used in Singapore subsidiary legislation notifications. While it signals that the instrument is published to inform the public and stakeholders, the legal effect is still binding: the auxiliary police status ceases on the specified date, and the earlier listing is formally corrected.
Accordingly, practitioners should treat the notification as authoritative for determining the legal status of the auxiliary police force after 1 November 2002.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The instrument is extremely brief and functions as a notification with two main numbered paragraphs:
(1) the cessation statement (that the Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force will cease to be an Auxiliary Police Force with effect from 1 November 2002); and
(2) the consequential amendment (deletion of Item (6) of the earlier Notification relating to the Auxiliary Police Forces (N 1)).
There are no “Parts” or detailed schedules in the extract provided. Instead, the structure reflects the purpose of the instrument: to record a specific legal change and to align the earlier listing with that change.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The notification applies primarily to the Sentosa Development Corporation Auxiliary Police Force—that is, the auxiliary police force associated with the Sentosa Development Corporation. Its effect is to remove that force from the category of auxiliary police forces under the Police Force Act framework.
In terms of practical reach, the cessation affects stakeholders who rely on the auxiliary police status for operational, legal, or administrative reasons. This can include the organisation itself, its personnel (to the extent their auxiliary police status depended on the force’s classification), and any agencies or parties that interact with the auxiliary police force under the assumption that it is legally recognised as such.
Importantly, the instrument does not, on its face, apply to the general public in the sense of creating new offences or regulatory duties. Rather, it changes the legal status of a specific auxiliary police force and updates the official listing accordingly.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the notification is short, it can be legally significant. The classification of an auxiliary police force is not a purely descriptive label; it is tied to the statutory framework under the Police Force Act. When that classification ceases, the legal basis for the force’s auxiliary police status ends. This can affect how powers, authority, and responsibilities are understood in relation to the force and its personnel after the effective date.
For legal practitioners, the instrument is particularly relevant in matters involving historical events, continuity of authority, or disputes about whether a person or body was acting with auxiliary police status at a given time. Because the cessation is effective from 1 November 2002, the date is critical: conduct occurring before that date may fall under the auxiliary police framework, while conduct after that date would not.
Additionally, the deletion of Item (6) of the earlier “N 1” notification helps prevent reliance on outdated listings. In legal research, practitioners often need to confirm the correct set of auxiliary police forces at a particular time. By amending the earlier notification, this instrument ensures that the official record remains accurate and reduces the risk of misidentification.
From an enforcement and compliance perspective, the cessation may also require internal and inter-agency adjustments. For example, procedures for coordination, reporting lines, and operational protocols that were premised on auxiliary police status may need revision. While the notification itself does not detail these operational steps, the legal change is the trigger for them.
Related Legislation
- Police Force Act (Chapter 235) — authorising statute for auxiliary police arrangements
- Notification relating to the Auxiliary Police Forces (N 1) — earlier notification amended by deleting Item (6)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Cessation of Auxiliary Police Force for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.