Thomas Dunman
Encyclopedia
Thomas Dunman was the first Commissioner of Police
in Singapore
from 1856 to 1871. Dunman Road and Dunman Lane in the Katong
area of Singapore are named after him.
Born in the United Kingdom
in 1815, Dunman came to Singapore in 1840 as an assistant in the merchant firm Dyce & Co. He entered the police force in 1843. He was made Superintendent of Police in 1851, and Commissioner of Police in 1856.
During his time heading the police force, Dunman was known for being on good terms with the people of various classes and communities within Singapore, and thus able to gain assistance and first-hand information regarding what was happening in the city. He was respected by leaders of the Europe
an community, and supported by influential Malays
and Indians, who often felt powerless to prevent Chinese
gangs from roving into their districts, assaulting people, and robbing homes and businesses. He improved the efficiency and training of the police force. Among the measures he introduced were improved pay and working hours for policemen, setting up training programmes and night classes for members of the force, and creating a pension scheme for retired policemen. Morale in the force improved and the crime rate in Singapore decreased under his leadership.
Dunman retired from the police force in 1871, and spent the next few years on his coconut plantation, Grove Estate (in what is now the Mountbatten area of Katong).
Dunman was the founding president of the Tanglin Club
in 1865.
Commissioner of Police (Singapore)
The Commissioner of Police is the top-ranking police officer of the Singapore Police Force. Assisted by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, he reports to the Minister for Home Affairs....
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
from 1856 to 1871. Dunman Road and Dunman Lane in the Katong
Katong
Katong is a residential area in the east of Singapore near the seafront. Formerly located by the sea, land was reclaimed all the way to East Coast Park to provide more land for housing and recreational purposes due to shortage of land in the late 1960s after Singapore gained independence.Katong was...
area of Singapore are named after him.
Born in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1815, Dunman came to Singapore in 1840 as an assistant in the merchant firm Dyce & Co. He entered the police force in 1843. He was made Superintendent of Police in 1851, and Commissioner of Police in 1856.
During his time heading the police force, Dunman was known for being on good terms with the people of various classes and communities within Singapore, and thus able to gain assistance and first-hand information regarding what was happening in the city. He was respected by leaders of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an community, and supported by influential Malays
Malays in Singapore
Malays in Singapore are defined by the Singaporean government using the broader and antiquated "Malay race" concept, rather than modern-day Malay ethnic group. Although Malays have inhabited the area that is now Singapore since the 17th century, most of the Malays in Singapore today are immigrants...
and Indians, who often felt powerless to prevent Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
gangs from roving into their districts, assaulting people, and robbing homes and businesses. He improved the efficiency and training of the police force. Among the measures he introduced were improved pay and working hours for policemen, setting up training programmes and night classes for members of the force, and creating a pension scheme for retired policemen. Morale in the force improved and the crime rate in Singapore decreased under his leadership.
Dunman retired from the police force in 1871, and spent the next few years on his coconut plantation, Grove Estate (in what is now the Mountbatten area of Katong).
Dunman was the founding president of the Tanglin Club
The Tanglin Club
The Tanglin Club is one of the most prominent and prestigious social clubs in Singapore. As of end 2009 the club had an active membership of 7,810, comprising approximately 70 different nationalities. Its clubhouse is located off Stevens Road, near the centre of town in Singapore...
in 1865.