IPA donates over Rs. 6 m to tsunami hit Police families

by Sarath Malalasekera

The International Police Association (IPA) has donated over Rs. 6.8 million collected by the Association to be distributed among Sri Lankan police personnel and their families affected following the December 26 tsunami tragedy.

Sulfica Sara Jiffry, a teenage girl, who lost her father Sergeant Jiffry attached to the Hambantota Police Station and her mother, and several other affected members of police families invited for the ceremony, received donations from Senior DIG Jayantha Wickremaratne, chief guest at the Police Headquarters.

Senior DIG Wickremratne paid a tribute to IPA President Michael Odysseos for coming to Sri Lanka with funds collected by the IPA to distribute among tsunami hit Sri Lankan police families.

Some of the police personnel affected by the tsunami were not IPA members. But the IPA President directed the Sri Lankan Police authorities to distribute the tsunami funds among those who were not IPA members, Senior DIG Wickremaratne said.

The Acting Secretary General of Sri Lankan Section IPA Srijah Senanayake said the recent and unexpected tsunami debacle affected some of the IPA members and a number of Police Officers who are non-members of the IPA in Sri Lanka.

However, true to the IPA motto Servo-Per-Amikeko, meaning service infriendship the IPA world body, rose to the occasion on IPA Sri Lankan Secretary Hema Dias' request and called upon all member countries to contribute to help IPA member countries affected by the tsunami.

Out of the countries affected, it was found that Sri Lanka was the only country with membership in the international body.

Senanayake said odysseos visited affected areas with SLRP Deputy Commandant Senior SP Nihal Samarakoon and him (Senanayake) to see damages and spoke to several officers, their wives and children affected by the tsunami.

On their return to Colombo, they met Senior DIG Jayantha Wickremaratne who provided with a detailed list of affected police personnel.

According to the report, about 153 police personnel and their families were affected following the tsunami, Senanayake added.

"We will be visiting other provincial capitals in due course to distribute the balance donations and impress upon all police personnel the advantages of being IPA members," Senanayake said.