Facebook user Greg Scarpa shared a photograph post on his encounter with two police officers in the vicinity of Sim Lim Square yesterday (July 12).

He felt he and his friend were stopped for screening by the officers because they were tattooed and the officers were "being biased and stereotypical".

In his post, he questioned whether police officers were allowed to conduct a search of his person. He also took issue at being questioned about his occupation.

He ended the post off saying that one of the police officers allegedly remarked screening them was "a waste of time."

Here's the full text of his post:

Earlier in the afternoon at around 3.21 pm, me and my Friend Admus was walking back from Fu Lu Shou towards Sim Lim where he parked his car. His Wife accompanied by his 10 months old baby was waiting for us near the traffic light when 2 uniformed policemen called for us from behind and beckoned us to stop.

They wanted to do a screening on us. Out of everyone in that busy street they chose to only stop us and if I assume, it must be because we are tattooed and that they are being biased and stereotypical. When they approached us asking for our identity cards, I asked my Friend, " why screen is when there are so many others on this street?" Admus had left his I.C in his car and therefore they took down his particulars on a notebook. I gave my I.C and they did the screening. After that, we were asked to empty our pockets and in reply I asked them if they had a search warrant to do a search on us. Staff sergeant Syahirah's respond was that they are the warrant itself. I'm not sure of the protocols and without reluctance we agreed to be searched. Admus's bag was also searched.

In between they asked us what were we working as. In between I asked them which division were they from and took a picture of both of them. They are from Alpha division as I was told by staff sergeant Syahirah .Is it a necessity for them to know what we're working as? What has it got to do with them if we're working or not? If let's say I'm not working are they gonna get me a job?

Anyways, after searching Admus's bag I was asked to empty my pockets again and corporal Tan Wei Qi patted my pockets to check if there is anything else hidden. After finding nothing on us I sarcastically asked if they wanted to check if there's anything hidden in my shoes as they are full of suspicion. They didn't want to check my shoes and before leaving, staff sergeant Syahirah said that we are a waste of time. If we're a waste of time, then why in the first place did you stop to screen us wasting our time!? Why don't you screen others who are not tattooed who could also be of threat?

And here are the photographs he took of the officers:

So how did the Internet respond to this post?

Here are the top liked comments:

Most comments support the fact that the police is conducting random checks on people, and that people who are screened should not take it personally.

However, some comments reveal that people with tattoos may, unfortunately, be stigmatised by others:

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