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Match Night

A day in the life of a Certis CISCO officer

By Kin Mun "mrbrown" Lee

March 30^th, 2014

Certis CISCO invited me to follow one of their officers for a day for this photo essay and the opportunity for such access was too good to pass up. And so, armed with my two cameras, I met Auxiliary Police Officer (APO) Lance Corporal Nicholas Alex, a seasoned officer of eight years with the company, at his base, as he reported for duty on a balmy Saturday afternoon.

The event he was on duty for that day was a Malaysia Super League match between defending champions, the Singapore LionsXII and the well-regarded team from Kelantan.

Though the match wasn’t until 7.30pm at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the recently married Nicholas was already at the base with his colleagues before 2pm, to change into his uniform and draw his firearm and baton.

2:00 P.M.

The officers draw their firearm and load the weapon in a loading bay, for safety reasons. And after which, they gather for their mustering parade and briefing from the event Officer Commanding (OC) . In the mean time, they also grab a quick meal before departing for the match in the Certis CISCO minivans. There will be no time for dinner once at the stadium.

What are these photos about?

3:15 P.M.

What are these photos about?

4:00 P.M.

Once on site, the officers are briefed again by the event Commander, Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Elvin, who happened to be serving his last event that night. He was moving on to a new post, a promotion, at another base. If there is a need to, the officers also receive updates from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) officials and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

There are all kinds of things to be done. Seats are swept for any items that may be used as projectiles during a match, as the officers fan out in a straight line through the bleachers. Ropes barriers need to be set up to demarcate the seating areas, one area for the Away fans from Kelantan, one area for the neutral zone, and one area for the local fans.

Security drills are also done, where the officers rehearse evacuation protocols in the event of an incident. All this is done under the hot afternoon sun, and in full uniform. I was glad to be wearing lighter clothing myself.

5:30 P.M.

Soon the fans arrive. There is a lot of attention paid to the Away fans from Kelantan, many of whom are arriving by coach. There is a special area for the Away fans to enter the stadium by, and there are more than 200 fans coming in at least four coaches, not counting those who arrive by car. Traffic is managed by Certis CISCO outriders and officers, with the Traffic Police keeping an eye nearby, and the coaches are guided into the designated area for the Away fans to enter smoothly.

I notice discussions happening between the officers and leaders of the fan coaches. I suppose it is to keep the communication lines open between all parties coming to an event like this.

The Away fans then enter the queue to have their bags checked by another security company engaged by FAS, while the Certis CISCO officers handle the body scans with their handheld metal detectors. Even in the midst of all this busyness, Nicholas makes time to take a photo for the Kelantan fans at the bus bay. I thought that was quite sporting of him.

7:30 P.M. Kickoff

I station myself in the Away fans area, which is Nicholas’ designated duty post.

The match begins and fans are streaming in. The officers take their stations to keep an eye on things. As there are more Away fans still coming in, the extra seats are released progressively. I can say this about Kelantan fans, they are really passionate about their team. The cheering and singing almost never stopped.

8:15 P.M. halftime

The LionsXII are up 1-0 early in the game. And at halftime, Nicholas and his colleagues have new duties to execute, fanning out to the surrounding area around the stadium, like the coffee shop and the convenience store, to ensure that there is law and order. Halftime is always a little tense because fans from the Home and Away teams will come face to come with each other as they buy drinks and food around the stadium, so the officers are extra vigilant for any potential flareups.

8:30 P.M.

The match resumes and Kelantan equalizes. The Away fans are ecstatic. They get a little rowdier and louder, but never get out of hand. Nicholas and his colleagues keep a watchful eye on things.

And in the final minutes of injury time, with the whistle just seconds away, Kelantan scores! 2-1 for the win! The Away crowd goes wild.

“You may not want to stand here,” says ASP Elvin with a grin, referring to me. I am still oblivious to the crowd as I stand along the front of the stands, snapping away.

“They will surge forward and you may get hurt,” he says with the voice of experience.

I listen to him and move away, and sure enough, the fans surge forward at the final whistle, to cheer their team and to take photos.

10:00 P.M.

The Kelantan fans are led to their buses, ushered out section by section. They are in high spirits and their trip down south has been worthwhile. I cannot help but feel happy for them, even though it was Singapore that lost.

Nicholas and the team move onto the streets to direct traffic and to allow the Away coaches to leave smoothly. Kelantan fans wave from their coach windows, over the moon with their win.

After ensuring that the coaches and the cars coming out of the stadium car park are squared away is the day almost over.

We have been on our feet for more than ten hours. ASP Elvin addresses the team for one last time, making a joke saying, “As you know, it is my last day here but don’t expect me to cry ah?”

The officers laugh and as they are dismissed, they take off their yellow safety vests (which are very warm, by the way), to make their way to the waiting vans that will take them back to base.

And me, I am tired but filled with a newfound respect for these officers. It isn’t an easy job but they do it without complaint and with some obvious pride in the uniform. Nicholas and his colleagues know their stuff, they know the streets, and they care about keeping the peace. They may seem invisible to us, as we take the security they provide at a football match, for instance, for granted. But they are always there, watchful and organised, yet always with a quick smile and witty banter.