Facebook user Prisci Looi has alleged that a police officer at Choa Chu Kang Neighbourhood Police Centre declined to take down a harassment complaint her mother wanted to lodge because it was reportedly too troublesome.
Looi revealed online that it all started when legal debt collectors pasted a red notice on her apartment door while she was not home on 23 Nov.
Looi’s mother, who was home alone with her 3-year-old grandson, confronted the debt collectors and told them that they’ve gotten the wrong house but the debt collectors did not pay heed to her words and instead, asked her to call the police if she was not happy.
Looi’s mother called the number on the red notice and spoke to a female employee of the collection company. When Looi’s mother said that no one in her home owes any such debt, the employee apparently insisted that red notices have been pasted on her front door before. Looi found this extremely curious since she has been living at her flat for the past 18 years.
The female employee also told Looi’s mother to go to the police if she was unhappy. Looi’s mother called the police who told her that they would not send an officer down to her unit since the harassment was not aggressive. Understanding, Looi’s mother made a trip to Choa Chu Kang Neighbourhood Police Station.
At this point, Looi had returned home and was minding her son when she decided to call the collection company herself. A female employee who spoke to Looi again asked her to go to the police. When Looi asserted that she will, the employee asked “So what do u want from me now?”
Looi reportedly responded that she does not want any employee to visit her home ever again, at which point the female employee took down her details, before confessing that her company is looking for a debtor but is unsure whether the debtor is staying on the 10th or 12th floor of the block.
This was the juncture when Looi’s mother returned home from the police station and told her that the police officer who was attending to her declined to file her complaint because it was too troublesome, since there was apparently no evidence of harassment.
Looi marched down to the station herself and was finally able to make a police report over an hour later.
Looi wrote:
“Why I am pissed off? 1. It is UNacceptable for weird people to come to my home, to accuse and frighten my Mother and 3 year old Son.
“2. The men who came and lady who spoke to us over the phone obviously don care for the police very much.
“3. Why do we have to go to the SAME STATION (@CCKNPS) twice within a span of 3 hours to lodge a report when we are the victims? I had to bring my Son and Mother again to make the report.”
She further tagged the Singapore Police Force on her Facebook post and appealed:
“I remembered years ago when i called 999 to report a suspected crime, the operator told me, I did the right thing because crimes should and can be prevented. But on Thursday, my experience proved otherwise. All i wanted to do was to protect my family, an old woman with a three year old who were helpless. Instead of helping, the first officer told her it was too troublesome to make a report. This is as unacceptable as legal debt collectors coming to my home ( a safe place) to accuse and harass my family. Please advise.”
Read her full post here:
On Thursday, 23rd Nov, there were two men in their late twenties who came to my home to demand payment from a legal debt…
Posted by Prisci Looi on Monday, 27 November 2017
In case you cannot read the above:
On Thursday, 23rd Nov, there were two men in their late twenties who came to my home to demand payment from a legal debt collecting company.
My Mother just got home with Ethan and bumped into them at the corridor. And saw that they pasted a red notice on our door. My Mother told them that they got the wrong house, as there was no such person who lives here. They proceeded to take out a picture and claim that the woman in the picture is her and the child is my Son. They also said, if we were not happy, we can call the police which we did. My mother called the hotline on the notice and spoke to a lady, she said that they have pasted the notice on our house before (I’ve stayed here for 18yrs, nope never before). Just like the 2 men she told she to call the police lo!
My mother dialled 999 and they said bcos they were not aggressive, they won’t send anyone down (this is understandable). And told her to go to the nearest station to make a report.
By this point, I just came home. And my mother told me she was going to the station, and ask me to stay home with Ethan. While she was lodging a report I called the hotline on the notice. A lady spoke to me rudely and she told me they r legal debt collecting company, if I was not happy I should make a police report. And I told her, I will, and what they are doing is unacceptable. Coming to my house to accuse an old lady that someone in this house owes money, esp with a 3 yo there. And she said, “ so what do u want from me now?”
I told her I don want anyone to come here again. I gave the name written to her. She even asked me for my address ( obviously I din give to her). Later she confessed and said, they r looking for the debtor, they dunno if he stayed on 10 or 12 floor.
So if they dunno why is my family harassed?
To add a cherry on top of the icing, my Mother came home and told me the police din lodge the report as it’s very troublesome. There was no evidence they were harassing us. IM SERIOUS.
I had to go down to the station again and wait another 1hr just to make the same case. This other police officer say, I should make the report and send it to the debt collecting company to prove this person doesn’t stay here which we did get a report in the end.
Why I am pissed off?
1. It is UNacceptable for weird people to come to my home, to accuse and frighten my Mother and 3 year old Son.
2. The men who came and lady who spoke to us over the phone obviously don care for the police very much.
3. Why do we have to go to the SAME STATION (@CCKNPS) twice within a span of 3 hours to lodge a report when we are the victims? I had to bring my Son and Mother again to make the report.
The second officer should easily check from his system the occupants staying in our unit, why don the first?
To all my friends, if this happens to u, remember we are pretty much on our own as u can see from my lost above. Unless they are aggressive, the police won’t do anything bcos they r legal.
Singapore Police Force I remembered years ago when i called 999 to report a suspected crime, the operator told me, I did the right thing because crimes should and can be prevented. But on Thursday, my experience proved otherwise. All i wanted to do was to protect my family, an old woman with a three year old who were helpless. Instead of helping, the first officer told her it was too troublesome to make a report. This is as unacceptable as legal debt collectors coming to my home ( a safe place) to accuse and harass my family. Please advise.