After 29 years in the Police Force, Florence Chua made history in June 2018 when she became the first woman to be made a Deputy Commissioner of Police, overseeing Investigations and Intelligence. She also became the first woman to head the Criminal Investigation Department, or CID.

Florence joined the Singapore Police Force in 1989, starting with the rank of Inspector of Police. After stints with the CID’s Anti-Vice and Secret Society branches, she was the first woman to be appointed as Head of Investigation at the Central Police Division. In 2008, she became the director of investigations at the Casino Regulatory Authority.

She served as the Commander of Jurong Police Division, the largest of the six police land divisions with a total staff strength of about 1,100, from 2010 to 2012.  Under her leadership, with initiatives such as community safety and security programmes, the Jurong Police Division saw a drop in the overall crime rate.

In 2012 Florence was appointed deputy director of CID, and in 2015 she was the first female director of the Police Intelligence Department. She brought about more effective crime fighting by integrating intelligence capabilities with frontline operations, and she led the department in several high-profile operations to dismantle organised crime groups and crime syndicates. In 2016, she led a team of officers in the crackdown of the largest illegal remote gambling syndicate. This was the first case to be prosecuted under the Organised Crime Act.

Driven and dedicated, Florence is held in high regard by her colleagues for her ability, management and leadership skills, and her care for her staff’s well-being.

Prior to 1949, there were no women police officers in Singapore. The first batch of 10 women police cadets began their training in 1949. Today, there are women in pretty much all units of the SPF, says Florence. “We have seen an increase in female officers taking up various different roles in the force, even in the Emergency Response Team (ERT). This is testament to the limitless opportunities for female officers in the Singapore Police Force.

“It is my strong belief that gender is  never an issue for officers in blue. Though we may face slight physical challenges as female officers, the requirements are the same regardless of gender. In Police Training Command, the female officers train alongside their male counterparts and do exactly the same things as them.”

Florence was active in sports as a child, and developed a huge passion for hockey when she was in secondary school at CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent. She represented Singapore in hockey at  six Southeast Asia (SEA) Games and three Asian Games. She captained the national women’s hockey team from 1991 to 1999, and led the team to glory on home soil when Singapore beat Malaysia to win the gold medal at the 1993 SEA Games.

Florence’s interest in sports was such that at one point she contemplated becoming a physical education teacher. Instead, after getting a degree in business administration from the National University of Singapore, Florence joined the police force. She explains why: “I was an active person, so I didn’t want a desk-bound job. Also, I wanted a job that challenges me daily and allows me to make a difference to the lives of Singaporeans.”

“The satisfaction of bringing closure to families and victims of crime and keeping criminals off the streets keeps me going every day. I also have colleagues who are very passionate about their work and seeing them putting in the long hours at work and making sacrifices to see justice done has motivated me even more. At the end of the day, this is a job that I really like to do, and it is indeed such a meaningful job.”

In August 2022, Florence retired from the Singapore Police Force after 33 years of service.

After 29 years in the Police Force, Florence Chua made history in June 2018 when she became the first woman to be made a Deputy Commissioner of Police, overseeing Investigations and Intelligence. She also became the first woman to head the Criminal Investigation Department, or CID.

Florence joined the Singapore Police Force in 1989, starting with the rank of Inspector of Police. After stints with the CID’s Anti-Vice and Secret Society branches, she was the first woman to be appointed as Head of Investigation at the Central Police Division. In 2008, she became the director of investigations at the Casino Regulatory Authority.

She served as the Commander of Jurong Police Division, the largest of the six police land divisions with a total staff strength of about 1,100, from 2010 to 2012.   Under her leadership, with initiatives such as community safety and security programmes,  the Jurong Police Division saw a drop in the overall crime rate.

In 2012 Florence was appointed deputy director of CID, and in 2015 she was the first female director of the Police Intelligence Department.  She brought about more effective crime fighting by integrating intelligence capabilities with frontline operations, and she led the department in several high-profile operations to dismantle organised crime groups and crime syndicates. In 2016, she led a team of officers in the crackdown of the largest illegal remote gambling syndicate. This was the first case to be prosecuted under the Organised Crime Act.

Driven and dedicated, Florence is held in high regard by her colleagues for her ability, management and leadership skills, and her care for her staff’s well-being.

Prior to 1949, there were no women police officers in Singapore. The first batch of 10 women police cadets began their training in 1949. Today, there are women in pretty much all units of the SPF, says Florence. “We have seen an increase in female officers taking up various different roles in the force, even in the Emergency Response Team (ERT). This is testament to the limitless opportunities for female officers in the Singapore Police Force.

“It is my strong belief that gender is  never an issue for officers in blue. Though we may face slight physical challenges as female officers, the requirements are the same regardless of gender. In Police Training Command, the female officers train alongside their male counterparts and do exactly the same things as them.”

Florence was active in sports as a child, and developed a huge passion for hockey when she was in secondary school at CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent. She represented Singapore in hockey at  six Southeast Asia (SEA) Games and three Asian Games. She captained the national women’s hockey team from 1991 to 1999, and led the team to glory on home soil when Singapore beat Malaysia to win the gold medal at the 1993 SEA Games.

Florence’s interest in sports was such that at one point she contemplated becoming a physical education teacher. Instead, after getting a degree in business administration from the National University of Singapore, Florence joined the police force. She explains why: “I was an active person, so I didn’t want a desk-bound job. Also, I wanted a job that challenges me daily and allows me to make a difference to the lives of Singaporeans.”

“The satisfaction of bringing closure to families and victims of crime and keeping criminals off the streets keeps me going every day. I also have colleagues who are very passionate about their work and seeing them putting in the long hours at work and making sacrifices to see justice done has motivated me even more. At the end of the day, this is a job that I really like to do, and it is indeed such a meaningful job.”

In August 2022, Florence retired from the Singapore Police Force after 33 years of service.