11 police reports were made over thefts at places of worship in the first six months of 2023. Read more at straitstimes.com.
SINGAPORE – Installing tamper-proof locks on donation boxes and hiring security personnel are among the precautions some places of worship have taken in the wake of a string of thefts from Catholic churches, mosques and Taoist temples.
The Methodist Church in Singapore has increased security measures at its 46 churches by deploying paid security personnel to guard some of their premises. Leong San Buddhist Temple said it has deployed more volunteers to patrol its premises during off-peak hours. Donation boxes at all four temples under the Hindu Endowments Board also make use of CCTV surveillance round the clock to deter theft, said the board’s chief executive officer T. Raja Segar. Most donation boxes have two or three locks, with keys kept in the office safe which is accessible only by office bearers.