Police Pal storybook and Run, Hide and Tell: what SPF publishes for ages four to six

If your child is four to six, the 5 October 2026 launch of the Police Pal storybook Run, Hide And Tell: An SGSecure Story raises a plain question: what does it actually teach, and how do I get Police Pal material? The Straits Times reported that the book uses animal characters to teach young children the importance of staying alert, moving away from danger and seeking help from a trusted adult. ^[1]

One caveat first. SPF's Police Pal pages set out the programme's purpose and its recommended ages, but they do not publish a step-by-step definition of each step in that title, so the three-part framing above is The Straits Times' description of the book's teaching. Below is what SPF's pages do confirm, plus some home ideas that are ours, not SPF's. ^{[2] [3]}

What SPF publishes, and what the title covers

The book was produced jointly by the Singapore Police Force and the SGSecure Programme Office, and Second Minister for Home Affairs Sim Ann launched it at an SGSecure Carnival at MOE Kindergarten @ West Spring, The Straits Times reported. She read it to a Kindergarten 2 class and joined over 200 preschoolers, teachers and police officers in emergency-themed activities. Sim Ann said the aim is to show children how to respond when they see something or someone suspicious, and that even at a young age children can learn steps like 'Run, Hide, Tell' to stay safe and seek help when needed. Her words supply the steps' title, not a definition of each one. ^[1]

That title sits inside a wider programme. SPF describes Police Pal as its flagship programme to educate preschool and primary school children on crime prevention and on the roles and responsibilities of police officers through interactive activities, developed from the Young Police Buddy initiative by Bedok Police Division in 2019. SPF says it worked with MOE's Character and Citizenship Education branch so the content aligns with the CCE syllabus, and that the 2024 storybook series extended the programme to preschoolers aged four to six. ^{[2] [4]}

Getting the series: a library loan, a preschool request or a dated session

SPF's June 2024 news release sets out the routes for the series. It said the storybooks would go to major preschool chains such as MOE kindergartens, PCF Sparkletots preschools and NTUC My First Skool centres by the end of October 2024; that educators may contact their nearest Neighbourhood Police Centre to request a copy for their preschool; and that the books are available for loan from public libraries, with no cost stated there. Worth knowing: neither that release nor SPF's Individuals page documents a route to the October 2026 SGSecure title. ^[4]

The dated sessions are easier to plan. SPF states the recommended age for Police Pal @ Libraries is four to six, and lists twelve sessions from September to December 2026 at public libraries around Singapore — one to diarise is Bukit Batok Library, 17 October 2026, 11.30am to 12pm. SPF's 2024 release said that storytelling sessions, from 5 July 2024, would be free of charge and that attending children would receive activity booklets to finish with a parent or caregiver; the 2026 dates do not restate either point, so confirm with the library before travelling. SPF also warns that dates, times and locations may change at short notice. ^{[4] [3]}

Rehearsing it at home without making it a worry

SPF's published family guidance is plain, and mostly addressed to adults. Its school-holidays advisory tells parents to be aware of their surroundings, to report suspicious activity to the authorities, and to know their children's whereabouts and who they are with. Its snatch-theft advice says to teach children to be wary of strangers, not to follow them, and to tell a teacher or a parent if strangers approach them in public. Sim Ann asked parents to reinforce these lessons at home so preparedness becomes a habit from a young age. ^{[1] [5] [6]}

The tell-a-teacher-or-parent default is the part worth repeating, and it is short enough for a busy weekday. Our optional suggestion, not an SPF instruction: keep it to about two minutes, name the actions once in plain words, rehearse a single short scene, and close on the same fixed line every time. A hypothetical example, not a tested routine: you take the unfamiliar-adult role in your own lift lobby, ask your five-year-old what she would do, and finish with 'move away, then tell a grown-up you trust' — then stop, and pick it up another day. ^[6]

What this does and does not promise

SPF frames Police Pal as awareness and trust, not certainty. Its programme page says the content educates preschool and primary school children on crime prevention through interactive activities; its Individuals page says the programme shows children that they can trust police officers and how to approach them for help when needed, and describes the mascot Ray as making crime prevention an adventure rather than a worry — a useful signal on tone for a preschool conversation. ^{[2] [3]}

So, directly: SPF publishes the title of the steps and the programme's purpose, not a definition of each step, and it confirms the four-to-six band for both the 2024 storybook series and the listed library sessions. The routes its pages confirm are a public library loan at a cost it does not state, a copy that a preschool's educator requests through their Neighbourhood Police Centre, and dated storytelling sessions. At home, keep it short, repeated and calm — and no story, session or rehearsal guarantees anyone's safety. ^{[1] [4] [3]}

Sources

EduNanny Editorial · AI-assisted research and writing, reviewed by our automated editorial team. Sources checked 2026-10-11. Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration.