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by Sarath Malalasekera

Crime in the recent past has shown an increase due to several factors, economic, political and other reasons of a war torn country, says former CID, DIG M. D. A. Rajapaksa.

Suggesting several remedies for problems of escalating crime former DIG Rajapaksa said that the Northern insurgency precipitated in several problems of law and order, not only in the provinces of the north and east but also in the other parts of the country resulting in high priority recruitment to the law enforcement agencies during a short duration of a few years, sacrificing quality for quantity of personnel recruited with shorter periods of basic training. The Police Service of few thousands in the fifties rose to hundred thousand in a few years including the support services of the reservist for security work other than crime prevention and detection which is the primary function of the Police Service.

The Police gradually moved away from the primary duty to a semi military force in the discharge of their official functions in the past two decades.

Rajapaksa said that as preventive action by the police were reduced the problems of escalating crime with service deserters and arms being freely available took a new turn with a new class of criminals known as underworld operatives who paid scant respect for the law enforcement agencies due to the support of important individuals and political patronage.

This term which was unknown in the past took a new lease of life of importance. Even police reservists have been selected from criminal gangs.

As sluggishness set into the police service the criminal activities got a grip in the social order resulting in increasing in grave crime. In suggesting remedial measures against the rise in tide of crime, former DIG Rajapaksa says, it is necessary that the chief law enforcement section be put into the correct frame making it service oriented. It is easy to salvage from the point that is in than destructive criticism and making it worse.

The personnel of the service should be motivated with a promising career for crime prevention and detection. The schemes of promotion, long stagnation indifferent ranks has developed dissatisfaction in the rank and file.

Professional achievements of crime prevention and detection as in the past should be criteria for promotion besides academic achievements.

He emphasised that the progress file system should be reintroduced to enable the superiors to make assessments of the officers for promotion to higher grades.

Former DIG Rajapaksa suggest the following recommendations to be considered for implementation. They are:

Preventive action in crime control to be activated as in the past by day, night, ambush, inter-station, district and mass patrols to be reintroduced.

All grave crime complaints to be investigated by the OIC of the station or branch and cases to be investigated by the OIC personally with proper follow up action and complainants to be informed periodically of the progress.

All minor complaints should be investigated and settled where necessary or court action taken to prevent from resulting into grave crime.

ASP districts should follow up every important case of crime reported and the strategy for further investigation and where necessary specialised inputs are made from other stations to solve the crime. Divisional officers should pay special attention to crime investigation and prevention and career prospects should be based on these assessments.

Human resources should be harnessed correctly as there is over staffing in station administration and under-staffing in field work. A team of officers from Headquarters should take a proper assessment of distribution and deployment of strength according to the needs.

Supervisory controls to be made effective by the selection of proper personnel to be in-charge of the policing at different levels.

Efficiency of the OIC should be judged on the performance of crime prevention and detection. Selection of OIC stations should be from the panel of DIGs on abilities shown in crime prevention and detection and not haphazard selection for other factors.

Recruitment to service ranks to be reviewed by a committee to push up the quality of recruitment in the three entry points of the service.

Reservist who have proved their abilities should be absorbed to the regular service and the others to be demobilised.

Anti-crime rural development societies and town guards schemes to be set up by the OIC and action taken against law violators. The law of binding over to maintain peace could be a good deterrent which have been used in the past.

The judiciary plays an important role in the control of crime in the field of penalties etc. Close liaison with the judicial officers in the day to day work will be very helpful in law enforcement for effective results. Residential quarters to be made available for police officials to pay prompt attention to work and keeping in mind that the police officers are always on duty and shall have the powers of a police officer in all parts of the island.

Government vehicles should be available for crime investigation as most of the time the station vehicles are used by different officials. This will prevent complainants being requested to bring vehicles for the police to conduct investigations.

Officers should not be allowed to serve more than three years as over familiarity leads to inactivity.

In the field of crime prevention high thrust should be made in harnessing the support of all social organisations, schools, religious institutions in drive against crime. Every crime committed should be properly analysed and preventive action taken against repetition.

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