s 13I Powers of community relations officers
13I.—(1) The powers that a community relations officer may be authorised under section 13H to exercise are all or any of the following:(a) to require a suspected individual to state the suspected individual’s name and residential address; (b) to require any person present or residing in a place of residence to provide information on the identity and particulars of the owner of or any person residing in the same place of residence, where an act or omission causing unreasonable interference was reasonably suspected to have been committed in that place; (c) to require any of the following individuals to attend before a community relations officer, if any prior reasonable attempt to meet and communicate with the individual has not been successful:(i) a suspected individual; (ii) any complainant against the suspected individual; (iii) any other individual who may assist in the investigation of the complaint against the suspected individual; (d) to advise a suspected individual to abate the act or omission causing unreasonable interference; (e) to photograph or film, or otherwise make an audio or visual recording in the place or the vicinity of the place where, or in respect of which, an act or omission causing unreasonable interference was committed or was reasonably suspected to have been committed, and any individual, thing, document or record in that place and to retain the photograph, film or recording; (f) to make a copy of and retain the copy of any document or record mentioned in paragraph (e); (g) to take statements from —(i) a suspected individual; (ii) any complainant against the suspected individual; or (iii) any other individual who may assist in the investigation of the complaint against the suspected individual; (h) to require any individual or complainant mentioned in paragraph (g) to make and sign a declaration of the truth of the statement that he or she makes; (i) to issue a written warning to a suspected individual to cease any act or omission causing unreasonable interference; (j) to issue written advisories to residents to maintain neighbourly relations and community peace; (k) to carry out an order made by a tribunal under section 11A and for this purpose the community relations officer may exercise the powers mentioned in this section; (l) to serve or deliver to a suspected individual, if he or she is alleged to have committed an offence, an offer of composition made by the Director-General or a person authorised by the Director-General; (m) to enter a place of residence at any reasonable time of the day, with the consent of the owner or occupier of the place of residence, for the purpose —(i) of installing detection and monitoring equipment; or (ii) of exercising any power under paragraph (e) or (f); (n) to install detection and monitoring equipment in the vicinity of a place of residence without entering the place of residence and with the consent of the entity responsible for the vicinity of the place of residence; (o) to serve or deliver any other direction, notice, order or requirement issued by the Director-General, a community relations officer or a tribunal under this Act. (2) The powers that a community relations officer may be authorised under section 13H to exercise, with the Director-General’s prior written approval, are all or any of the following:(a) to require any person, organisation or public agency to provide information on the identity and particulars of the owner of or any person or tenant residing in a place of residence in respect of which an act or omission causing unreasonable interference was reasonably suspected to have been committed; (b) to require any person to provide any other information in the possession or within the knowledge of that person that in the opinion of the Director-General is required to investigate an act or omission causing unreasonable interference that was reasonably suspected to have been committed; (c) to enter a place of residence at any reasonable time of the day, without the consent of the owner or occupier of the place of residence for the purpose of exercising any power under subsection (1)(e) or (f). (3) A community relations officer may, in the exercise of his or her powers under subsection (1)(m)(i) and (n) and (2)(c), be accompanied by a person authorised by the Director-General to render technical and other assistance. (4) The Director-General or a community relations officer may disclose or provide any information, statement, image, audio or visual recording, document or other evidence obtained under this section —(a) to any court in relation to or in support of any claim or application under this Act; or (b) for the purposes of exercising the functions or powers of the Director-General or a community relations officer under this Act. (5) To avoid doubt, it is not necessary to obtain the consent of the owner or occupier of the place of residence mentioned in subsection (1)(n) in exercising the power in that provision to install detection and monitoring equipment in the vicinity of that place of residence.[Act 43 of 2024 wef 24/03/2025]