Why so many cops to arrest a single suspect? 'It's not because one person is a supervillain'
They might have seen the online comments.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) posted a video on social media on Oct 8 to address a "very common misconception".
The post asked: "Ever wondered why you see multiple police officers responding to what seems like a simple incident?"
In one recent incident, it took five police officers to arrest one drug suspect on Sept 20. Snide comments were made about the number.
The video answered the question: "Why do the police often respond with several officers even if it looks like there's just one person involved?"
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kelvin Tan explained in the video that the most important reason is safety.
"Having more officers allows for us to better manage the different parties involved and use minimum necessary force to arrest violent or aggressive suspects safely," said ASP Tan.
The post added: "Having multiple officers allows us to better manage all parties in the situation, use minimum necessary force to effect an arrest, and handle incidents safely and efficiently."
ASP Tan concluded: "So the next time you see several SPF officers on a call, remember it's not because one person is a supervillain.
"It's because we are committed to ensuring every situation is handled with safety for everyone involved."
