ISF to commemorate 50 years of Private Security in Sri Lanka

50th Anniversary: It was in 1956 that two enterprising school leavers, Fuard Uduman and Newton Dassanayake, started the 'Pettah Watchmen Service' with two guards clad in khaki coats and armed with torches, batons and whistles to cover second cross street, on the 15th of May 1956. This was the birth of Private Security in Sri Lanka, then Ceylon' (Newton S. Dassanayake - unpublished memories).

Since then Private Security has expanded steadily and is today making a significant contribution to the national economy. It is befitting indeed that the Industrial Security Foundation of Sri Lanka has stepped into provide the leadership to commemorate this landmark of 50 years of Private Security in Sri Lanka.

In the eighties with the introduction of the open economy the demand for Private Security saw a phenomenal increase. The emergence of new industries and commercial ventures together with the expansion of the existing ones; and the realization by Investor and entrepreneurs that security was an indispensable input, led to the rise of security organization islandwide.

The demand for security by virtually all organizations of the private as well as the State sector including schools, hospitals and vital utilities received a further boost with the frightening security threats disrupting normal life. The law enforcement agencies of the State had their hands full and private security assumed a new dimension necessitating new training programs and technology to identify and take counter measures against acts of terrorism.

Today, the personnel of security departments in State and private organizations together with the personnel of private security agencies comprise a formidable percentage of the national workforce. Over 70,000 are employed by 250 registered security providing agencies, and it is presumed that the large number of unregistered agencies employ as many persons.

It was in the simmering background of the eighties that a few dedicated security professionals from the established private security agencies of the time and distinguished retired senior officers of the Police and the Armed Services discussed the urgent need to make commercial and industrial security (Private Security) a professionalised service that could be an asset to industry and of assistance to the Police. Out of these deliberations in 1992 was born the Industrial Security Foundation of Sri Lanka.

The ISF Sri Lanka, incorporated by Act, No. 51 of 1999 is the only statutory body dedicated to the improvement of the competence and efficiency of private security. This year it takes pride in providing the leadership for the commemoration of 50 years of Private Security in Sri Lanka.

This is in furtherance of its numerous achievements ranging from seminars, with reputed international resource personnel, highly professional training programmes and providing opportunities for the exposure of security technology, sports and social interaction. With welfare at heart even the Tsunami-affected security personnel were not forgotten.

Being a non-profit organization with limited income generating activities the commemoration events planned by the Foundation will not be extravagant, but wholly meaningful to those engaged in security with immeasurable direct and indirect benefits to the national economy and national security.

The series of events that have been planned for this 50th Anniversary Year will include a seminar for the rank and file, a seminar for corporate levels, a national seminar on the security of banking/financial institutions with eminent resource personnel local and foreign, and an exhibition of hi-tech security devices.

The Foundation will also take pride in ceremonially honouring a few distinguished persons who have extended their assistance and goodwill to the uplift of the security profession including the Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa, Minister of Agricultural Development who introduced and steered through Parliament the Foundation's incorporation Bill with the coveted Hony. Fellowship Award, for the first time.

Ajith Jayasekera