Aviation and beyond: 4 auxiliary police officers share why they find life in SATS Security Services fulfilling

SATS Security Services (SSS) has long been associated with the aviation industry. But this notion that it solely operates within the aviation sphere is a common misconception.

These days, SSS undertakes a variety of non-aviation deployments in high security and iconic locations island-wide.

This isn’t the run-of-the-mill security officer that you might have initially envisioned — the skills of their officers spread far wider than that.

Just ask Deputy Superintendent of Police (APF) G. Visvanathan, or DSP (APF) Nathan for short. 

Through all the changes the organisation has seen over the past three decades, DSP (APF) Nathan still loves being part of the SSS family.

Cool in the midst of chaos 

Hearing how DSP (APF) Nathan describes his job, it’s no surprise that we’re faced with a composed Commanding Officer for SSS.

His mornings consist of attending a panel where operational updates are shared and his afternoons are when he performs ground supervisory visits.

DSP (APF) Nathan makes the effort to engage with officers to better understand ground concerns. By having effective communication with his colleagues, DSP (APF) Nathan hopes to minimise conflict and build trust.

“It is very dynamic. Even after 35 years of service, I will say that there are things that I need to learn,” the 56-year-old said.

DSP (APF) Nathan cites some of the skills learnt along the way, including soft skills thanks to customer service in client-facing functions, as well as keeping himself updated on new technology as the industry evolves at a rapid speed.

He speaks about how things can change at a moment’s notice and even today, managing such situations can get challenging, but the constant opportunity for growth and development is what keeps the fire burning for DSP (APF) Nathan. 

His mantra of keeping calm and not allowing external factors to affect emotions at work is something he openly shares with his team. The value of teamwork in such a high-stake work environment should not be overstated.

“There is no way an individual can handle this [alone]. If you have a very good team who knows what the expectations are, you will get things done,” DSP (APF) Nathan added.

Outriders, roll out

Take a trip down Inspector (APF) Hanafi Azlan’s career journey and we get to dip our toes into one of the brains behind the launch of SSS’s first outrider fleet — a team of experienced officers trained for traffic management, escort and guard services and more. 

INSP (APF) Hanafi knew what he wanted to be from a young age.

“My first aspiration was to be either a police officer or fighter pilot,” the 37-year-old shared.

He was a traffic police officer for 11 years but in 2017, INSP (APF) Hanafi felt the time was right for a fresh start and he decided to become an auxiliary police officer.

Fast forward to today and he is now the Deputy Commanding Officer for non-aviation services.

Why the change? For INSP (APF) Hanafi, it was the fast-paced nature of non-aviation security services that drew him to explore expanding his scope of work. He was also keen on putting his years of experience and skill to use in new ways.

“I believe that SSS had the best opportunity for growth with the skills that I had,” he added.

INSP (APF) Hanafi got exactly that when he was provided the opportunity to participate in building SSS’s first fleet of outriders.

With the knowledge from his past experience as a traffic police officer, INSP (APF) Hanafi rose to the challenge. 

He helped design the technological tools on the bikes to ensure the safety of the officers. Front and rear cameras are fitted on the bikes so the command centre will be aware of happenings on the ground, and dispatch additional resources if needed. 

The helmets are also equipped with Bluetooth technology, meaning communication with the command centre and other riders in the vicinity is completely hands-free. 

As for the officers’ riding jackets, they are anti-skid and padded.

“So if our outriders were to fall, they would not suffer any abrasions,” INSP (APF) Hanafi said.

SATS Security Services' Outriders Unit has been in operation since December 2021 and INSP (APF) Hanafi was eager to share exactly what they do.

"The services that can be provided using outriders are traffic management for scenarios like road closures, managing traffic diversions, and crowd control. We also provide guard and escort services."

When it comes to their daily work, there are opportunities aplenty for INSP (APF) Hanafi and his outriders to demonstrate a key core value of SATS — passion to delight.

This is especially true when it comes to moderate situations that involve altercations between members of the public. 

“How to calm a member of the public down is to always prolong a conversation. They will actually share their thought processes which makes you understand where they’re coming from,” INSP (APF) Hanafi revealed.

From there, both parties can come to a mutual understanding.

"Our job is to maintain peace and a big part of that is really getting to understand the people we serve."

Still exciting, even after 29 years

Similar to Nathan, Inspector (APF) Benny Lee is also an SSS veteran.

The 52-year-old is based at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) and even after 29 years of service, he still loves his trade.

When asked to describe his job, INSP (APF) Benny replied: “Exciting, full of surprises and the need for quick responses.”

All those words perfectly describe a situation INSP (APF) Benny faced at work in March 2020. It was the start of the pandemic and Benny’s team were confronted with a colossal task when they found out Costa Fortuna, a cruise liner, had been turned away from nearby ports due to Covid-19 concerns.

Singapore was open to receiving Costa Fortuna and MBCCS had to be prepped in under 24 hours to receive the cruise liner.

Ordinarily, three days are required to prepare for a ship’s arrival. On top of that, this was no typical arrival either. 

“We needed to set up portable isolation points, doctor consultation rooms and nurses stations [in the terminal],” INSP (APF) Benny explained.

All guests were required to depart the cruise liner as the polymerase chain reaction and serology tests had to be performed at the terminal.

INSP (APF) Benny spoke about the importance of remaining calm throughout and highlighted his team’s high level of adaptability in moments of potential crisis too.

“As a team, we are not scared. For our line of work, we have to face whatever comes. It’s important to take care of ourselves and understand exactly what we are required to do.”

From insurance agent to auxiliary police officer (APO)

Switching jobs is hardly ever an easy decision, especially when it's a jump to a completely different industry.

However, 24-year-old SGT (APF) Liaw Jin Feng seemed unfazed when she spoke about making that leap from being an insurance agent to an APO. 

“Because I wanted to try something different and it’s something that I am curious about,” she shared.

SGT (APF) Jin Feng began her journey as an APO in November 2021. In the nine months since, she’s had quite the experience — from denying entry to an individual without a valid pass to catching members of the public snapping shots in a no-photography zone.

This major switch in career even shocked SGT (APF) Jin Feng’s friends as they saw her as “someone who is very timid and shy”. Not exactly the characteristics one would expect of someone in her line of work. 

Despite being a new recruit, SGT (APF) Jin Feng is often deployed to highly sensitive locations. While she could not reveal much about her workplace, SGT (APF) Jin Feng did share that gathering the courage to approach people is a big component of her job.

So how does this timid young lady do it, you might ask? Of course, a large chunk of it is down to her innate drive to push beyond her comfort zone.

Mix that in with training from experienced security industry veterans at the mandatory training programme that SATS Security Services provides all its new recruits, you've got yourself a confident and disciplined APO ready to serve the people.

During her stint at SATS Security Academy, SGT (APF) Jin Feng picked up various skills, such as learning how to operate the security equipment used in her deployments and even unarmed body combat.

While courses on the physical and technological aspects of the job are a given, emphasis is also placed on building soft skills for all recruits.

For SGT (APF) Jin Feng, she spoke about understanding the importance of using open-palm gestures when greeting clients or members of the public.

“It’s like you’re welcoming them to this place. It’s more polite,” she shared, adding that rather than pointing, it feels warmer and friendlier.  

It may be a small gesture, but it goes a long way, and shows that for SSS officers, being approachable and personable goes hand-in-hand with providing security services.

To find out more or be part of SATS Security Services, visit https://www.sats.com.sg/security now.

This article is brought to you in partnership with SATS Security Services.

amierul@asiaone.com