Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear blue polo shirts and black pants.

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted daily norms and instilled uncertainty among the public in 2020, SC(V) Loo Jian Kai remained on scene to fight crime and uphold safety in our neighbourhoods.

But this isn’t his full-time job. This is his passion for volunteering with the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

A Hero In The Making

In university, SC(V) Jian Kai was a Criminology major who wanted to find ways to apply what he learnt outside the classroom. Today, the 26-year-old is a Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) (Community) officer from the pioneer batch and in his third year of service with the SPF.

From assisting evacuations to carrying out crowd control and public engagements, VSC (Community) officers help to project a visible police presence and deepen police-community relations.

When the circuit breaker upended foot patrols and police community roadshows in May 2020, SC(V) Jian Kai and other volunteers continued to assist the SPF in COVID-19 related operations.

“We supported them by doing temperature screenings and ensuring all visitors to Police premises are well and complying with safe management measures,” he said.

“In so doing, our regular Police counterparts were able to better focus on their core duties.”

Striking A Balance

In his day job, SC(V) Jian Kai holds a full-time position at the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).

As both the SPF and CNB are Home Team agencies, the values behind his duties as a Police volunteer intertwine with his job scope as a civilian officer, he added.

The first-hand experiences of community engagement on the ground have also given him a “deeper appreciation of how different Home Team departments work together” to keep Singapore safe and secure.

The flexibility of his volunteer role allows him to volunteer after work hours and on the weekends. He said: “I try to schedule my duties on weekend mornings so that I can spend the rest of the day with my loved ones.”

Gain More Than You Give

Being able to share his knowledge with the public on how to protect themselves from crime is something he finds meaningful and rewarding through his volunteering experience.

His recent volunteer duties have involved raising awareness about loan scams and even going door to door to speak to residents., SC(V) Jian Kai and other VSC (Community) officers are also helping to spread the word about ScamShield, a mobile application that deters fraudulent calls.

SC(V) Jian Kai encourages everyone who has “a few hours to spare” to give volunteering a shot.

“From saying ‘hi’ to children to striking up conversations with the elderly, these moments constantly remind me of why I started my volunteer journey with the SPF,” he said.

“Simple acts of volunteering by each of us can create a visible difference to the community.”

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