Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post, formerly the North Canal Road Post Office, is a neighbourhood police post on North Canal Road serving the Kreta Ayer Precinct in Chinatown, Singapore.
History
editThe North Canal Road Post Office was opened in 1908.[1] It was built in the standard post office design used by the British Colonial Administration. It features a decorative arch and two large moulded brackets, as well as a hip roof. It was closed from 1972 to 1973 due to renovations. In 1988, it was closed as it had been replaced by a newer post office on nearby Pickering Street. The building was initially to be demolished.[2] However, it was instead reopened as the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post on 15 January 1990, becoming the first neighbourhood police post within the Central Business District.[3] By 1995, crime rates in the surrounding area had fallen by about twenty percent.[1] As it was located between the Ministry of Labour building and the Pidemco Centre which housed the Singapore Immigration Department, the post was a popular place to report loss of work permits or passports. It was amongst the busiest neighbour police posts, averaging around 600 reports a month.[4] Beginning in 2000, those wishing to hold an event at the nearby Speakers' Corner were required to apply for a permit at the post.[2]
The post is the only two-storey police post in Singapore. The building was placed on the Police Heritage Trail, which was launched on 26 November 2020.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post, 55 North Canal Road". Roots. National Heritage Board. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post". Roots. National Heritage Board. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Sgt Lee: How I nabbed a kidnapper". The Straits Times. Singapore. 12 January 1995. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Kreta Ayer NPP among Singapore's busiest". The Straits Times. Singapore. 12 January 1995. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ Wong, Cara (27 November 2020). "Singapore Police Force marks 200th anniversary with heritage trail". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 14 April 2024.