Directive to Policemen:

Always be in uniform

Chaminda PERERA

The Police Headquarters yesterday directed all Police Stations and the Divisional Heads to ensure that Police officers providing security to the candidates should be in uniform during the election campaign.

This directives came in the wake of several complaints made by the public that some Police officers are often see in civil attire.

According to Police Spokesman SP Priyashanth Jayakody, the people cannot distinguish the Police officers among them when they are in civil attire and the Police officers have also faced a number of difficulties when they are providing security at public rallies.

This is the first time the Police officers providing security to the candidates have been directed to be attired in their uniform during the election campaign, he said.

He said the Police Department will deploy a contingent of 65,000 Police officers to provide security to the Polling Stations and District Secretariats islandwide on election day.

"The Department will put in place a comprehensive security blanket covering the all districts in the country in co-ordination with the Armed Forces during the election campaign, he said.