New police training complex opens at Kalutara

Divakara Mohotti

KALUTARA: Sri Lanka Police Department inaugurated a special training programme to train police officers to combat crime. The Swedish government supports the police in this project.

Addressing the first batch of police officers at the new training complex at the SLPC Kalutara DIG Navaratne requested them to make the best use of the training to provide a better service to the country. The training course was organised by Swedish International Development Agency Project - Swedish National Police Board and Sri Lanka Police coordinated the project.

DIG Navaratne said Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) has allocated Rs. 423 million for the training which includes activities of police management, crime investigation management in enhancing capacity of civilian policing in addition to crime scene investigation capabilities.

The DIG said at present conviction rate of court cases in relation to crimes reported to police stations is 4 per cent which is a big blow to prevent criminal acts. Therefore this training course has been planned out to overcome this problem through increasing capacity of crime investigations related to the scenes of crimes, he said.

The activities of the Police Road Map are being implemented under the guidance of Inspector General of Police (IGP Chandra Fernando to re-establish a police service in Sri Lanka, which is featured by democratic values and that is accountable to the law and respects and protects human rights, specially law and order and security in society, public confidence in the police by transparency and less crimes he said.

Director SLPC Nihal Rodrigo said it is a great pleasure to deliver the vote of thanks, on this ceremonial opening of Scene of Crime Officers Training Complex and the commencement of the first training programme.

Director Rodrigo congratulating the Swedish Government and Swedish International Development Agency said: I sincerely trust and hope that the activities of the organisation will continue to progress in every way, in the days ahead, and I wish each and every one of you all the best in all your future endeavours."

The Swedish police consultants Jan Ericollson, Leef Eric Randilop, Mari Luies Poppon and DIGs, SSPs and ASPs along with the police officials attached to the Police College participated.