Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post, 55 North Canal Road

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The Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) was originally built in 1908 and housed the North Canal Road Post Office until 1988. Its architecture reflects Singapore's colonial past, featuring a decorative arch entrance and sloping hip roof. Community policing began in 1983, and on January 15, 1990, Kreta Ayer NPP commenced operations as the 76th NPP in Singapore.

As the only NPP in the Central Business District, Kreta Ayer NPP was kept busy working round-the-clock to preserve peace in prime land. The NPP worked with crime prevention committees consisting of shop owners, tenants, and security firms to prevent crime and saw a 20% drop in crime rates by 1995. Today, this redesigned NPP provides residents with automated police services, allowing officers to be redeployed to better serve the community.

Kreta Ayer is part of Chinatown, Singapore's largest historic district, with South Bridge Road, Upper Cross Street, and Cross Street as some of the main roads. Hong Lim Park, now known as Speaker's Corner, was historically an important recreational area in Chinatown and a space for community events. Until 1892, it was interchangeably referred to as Dunman's Green or Hong Lim Green before adopting the latter name. In 2000, part of the park was designated as Speaker's Corner, which is Singapore's only outdoor venue where citizens can organise or participate in a public assembly without a police permit, subject to compliance with the rules.