The Managing Consultant-cum-Principal Lecturer Mr Lee Swee Thin
Personal Background
Mr Lee Swee Thin is a retired Superintendent of the Singapore Police Force (SPF). He had served more than 40 years in the SPF, including 25 years in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a premier investigation institution of the SPF. During his tenure in CID, he held many supervisory specialist posts, including Assistant Director of Operations Division, Staff Officer to Director CID, Criminal Intelligence Unit, Secret Societies Branch, Organised Crime Branch, and Interrogation Branch. Prior to his retirement, he was an Assistant Director, Specialized Crime Division supervising the investigations and operations of Secret Societies, Gambling Suppression, Anti-Vice, and Intellectual Property Rights Branches.
Staff Authority of Investigation and Prosecution
2 Concurrently, he was a staff authority of investigation and prosecution matters of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and principal adviser to Director CID, Heads of Investigation Branches, CID, and Police Divisional Headquarters. He had years of practical experience in the SPF, especially in the areas of investigation and prosecution of offenders. From time to time, he reviewed the good and challenging Investigation Papers (IPs) drawing valuable lessons to improve the training packages of Supervisory and Investigation Officers. In this regard, he had written numerous investigation and prosecution subject matters, including the Crime Investigation Manual, Police General Orders, Directives, Guidelines, etc. to provide the guidance and reference to police supervisory/investigation officers and prosecution officers. Most of the investigation and prosecution subject matters were hosted in the SPF Intranet ‘Create’ website.
Police Liaison Officer of AGC and Courts
3 Mr Lee was a police liaison officer with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and State/High Courts on the standards of police investigation and prosecution policy of the Singapore Police Force. In year 2000s, Police Headquarters nominated him as SPF representative in the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) Task Forces reviewing the Penal Code, Cap. 224 and Criminal Procedure Code, Cap. 68. He contributed his extensive police knowledge and expertise in investigations, operations, and challenges to the AGC Task Forces. At the same time, recommended the improvements of provisions in the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code.
4 One of the significant recommendations in the old Penal Code, Cap.224 was the various illustrations of policemen committing all types of penal offences, portraying the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in general and policemen in particular in negative lights. Mr. Lee rationalised the negative illustrations originated from the Indian Penal Code contrary to the professional image of the Singapore Police Force, the Force of The Nation. He recommended the illustrations of the penal code offences to change into alphabets instead, not to degrade any profession or organisation in general and police officers of Singapore Police Force in particular. The revised editions of the Penal Code, Cap. 224 and Criminal Procedure Code, Cap. 68 published in 2010 had improved the police investigations and prosecutions considerably, including the illustrations of the penal code offences are now in alphabets.
Consultant to Criminal Investigation Department
5 After his retirement, Mr. Lee was Consultant to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for 2 years building up the institutional knowledge management of investigation and prosecution policy in the Singapore Police Force, including the Vice, Gambling, and Intellectual Property Rights. He also conducted the training courses on police institutional knowledge, especially the nuances in investigations and prosecutions to Heads of Investigation Branches, supervisory and investigation officers in CID and Police Divisional Headquarters.
Consultant to Singapore Customs Intelligence & Investigation Division
6 From 16 Jan 2008 to 16 Oct 2009 (with breaks in-between), Mr. Lee was consultant to the Singapore Customs Intelligence & Investigation Division. The consultant reviewed and overhauled the investigation division systematically and restructured the Division into the efficient and effective operations and investigation system to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute the contraband cigarettes traffickers, smugglers, and peddlers at various notorious locations in Singapore. He had also written the Manual of Investigation and General Orders/Instructions for Singapore Customs Intelligence & Investigation Division as reference and guidance.
Consultant to Office of the Public Guardian, MCYS
7 From 1 Jul to 31 Dec 2011, Mr. Lee was consultant to The Office of the Public Guardian, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (present Ministry of Social and Family Development). The consultant reviewed and overhauled the investigation and supervision of reports under the Mental Capacity Act, Cap.177A. As the review and overhaul were contingent on the support of the organisational infrastructure, the Consultant also recommended the reorganisation and restructuring of the Office of the Public Guardian. The Public Guardian accepted the recommendations of implementation. To maintain consistency of the investigation processes, Mr. Lee had written the Office of the Public Guardian Investigation Manual to provide guidance and reference. He also conducted the Basic Investigation Course to Investigation Officers of the Office of the Public Guardian.
Top Criminal Justice Consultancy
8 On 5 Mar 2012, Mr. Lee incorporated the Top Criminal Justice Consultancy. The consultancy provides the top-quality consultancy and training courses to civil servants and public officers in the Government Ministries and Statutory Boards to uplift the standards of investigation, operations, and prosecution to make Singapore a safer place to live, work, and play. Since then, the consultancy has conducted numerous Basic Investigation Courses, Advanced Investigation Courses, Crime Scene Investigation Courses, Guide to Writing Investigation Report Courses, Psychodynamics Interview Courses, and seminar for civil servants and public officers in various Government Ministries and Statutory Boards. Please visit the website: www.topcriminaljustice.com.sg for details.
Institutional Engagements
9 From 11 – 12 Jul 2013 and 19 – 20 Sep 2013, Messrs. Lee Swee Thin and Koa Fung Chew of Top Criminal Justice Consultancy conducted two sessions of the 2-day Interviewing & Profiling Techniques of Deception Detection Course for HDB senior officers at the 4thstorey HDB Learning Hub, Toa Payoh Mall, Singapore 310480.
10 From 2015 to 2016, Mr Lee of Top Criminal Justice Consultancy conducted the Managing Criminal Investigations and Police Incident Report Writing training courses to senior and junior police investigation officers at the School of Criminal Investigations, 9th floor, CID Tower, Police Cantonment Complex.
11 From 10 Aug 2016 to 20 Apr 2018, Mr Lee of Top Criminal Justice Consultancy conducted training courses on the Penal Code, Cap. 224, Criminal Procedure Code, Cap. 68 and Evidence Act, Cap. 97 for senior officer trainees of Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at the Home Team Academy.
12 From 17 Feb 2017 to 3 Oct 2019, Mr. Lee of Top Criminal Justice Consultancy conducted the training courses on Evidence & Investigation of Environmental Offences Level I and Level II for senior and junior environmental investigation/enforcement officers at the 9th floor Environmental Learning Centre, Singapore Environment Institute, 1 Kay Siang Road, NEA and Lifelong Learning Institute, 11 Eunos Road 8 Singapore 408601.
13 From 6 Apr to 6 Dec 2017, Mr. Lee of Top Criminal Justice Consultancy was a Law Assessor of Training Safety & Assessment, Training Command, Home Team Academy. He set the examination questions and marking the answer scripts of regular senior police officers taking the criminal law examination papers on the Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and General Laws.
14 Messrs. Donaldson & Burkinshaw LLP and Top Criminal Justice Consultancy jointly organised The Utilities Investigations Seminar 2017 for senior officers and staff of Energy Market Authority on 25 Aug, 22 Sep, and 29 Sep 2017 at the 2nd floor, Royal Plaza on Scotts Hotel, 25 Scotts Road, Singapore 228220.
National and Police Awards
15 Mr Lee Swee Thin had rendered more than 40 years of distinguished service to the Singapore Police Force (SPF). He had been conferred numerous awards:
a 31 Jul 2015 - SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE SG50 THANK YOU POLICE PIONEERS CELEBRATIONS
"Mr S Iswaran, 2nd Minister for Home Affairs commended retired Superintendent Lee Swee Thin and Deputy Superintendent S. K. Menon for outstanding contributions to the production of Singapore Police Force magazine and The Singapore Straits Times video “Guilty As Charged” for the Police Pioneers Celebrations."
b 1992 - NATIONAL DAY EFFICIENCY MEDAL
c 1996 - NATIONAL DAY LONG SERVICE MEDAL
d 1971 - COMMISSIONER OF POLICE HIGH COMMENDATION AWARD
"For Outstanding Investigation And Skilful Interrogation In October 1970 Resulting In The Recovery Of 12 Firearms, 105 Rounds Of Ammunition, 12 Reels Of Obscene Films And The Conviction Of A Person For Unlawful Possession Thereof."
e 1992 - COMMISSIONER OF POLICE HIGH COMMENDATION AWARD
"For Leadership, Devotion To Duty And Consistently Maintaining A High Standard Of Performance As The Head Investigation In ‘J’ Division From 1 Jul 91 To 30 Jun 92."
f 1971 - COMMISSIONER OF POLICE COMMENDATION AWARD
"For Exemplary Devotion To Duty, Tenacity And Skilful Investigation In A Case Of Theft Of $946,000 From The Chartered Bank, Singapore, Resulting In The Conviction Of 2 Male Chinese And The Recovery Of $651,510; The Seizure Of One Revolver, One Pistol And 27 Rounds Of Ammunition And The Solution Of 2 Other Major Crimes In Consequence Thereof."
g 1975 - COMMISSIONER OF POLICE COMMENDATION AWARD
"For Devotion To Duty And Consistently Maintaining A High Standard Of Work In The Criminal Intelligence Unit, Criminal Investigation Department From 1 Apr 73 To 30 Jun 75."
