Clarifications on online posts alleging police bullying

On 18 May 2021, Instagram user @nichology published an Instagram story, which contained falsehoods that the Police severely reprimanded and taunted an elderly woman. These falsehoods were reproduced by The Online Citizen Asia and Singapore Uncensored.

The Instagram story alleged that four Police officers, who had “cluster[ed around] an elderly auntie that took off her mask because she was feeling breathless”, “continued to tell her off to the extent [that] someone had to come and salvage the situation” and “taunt[ed]” the elderly woman. The Instagram story also claimed that the Police had abused their authority.

These allegations are false, and there is no basis for the claim that the Police abused their authority. To clarify, the Police had responded to the incident on 17 May 2021 at 6.43pm, at Block 743 Yishun Avenue 5, as an 85-year-old woman, who did not have a mask on, appeared to be lost at the said location. Police officers attended to the elderly woman to help her find her way home. With the help of a member of the public, it was subsequently established that the elderly woman resided in a nearby block and her domestic helper was contacted to bring her home.

As the incident took place during dinner time, the Police officers were concerned that the elderly woman might have been hungry and bought food for her as well. No further Police assistance was required after the elderly woman was handed over to her domestic helper safely.