Some law and order points

A few months ago when I returned home to find that the Ceylon Electricity Board had cut the power supply for non-payment of bills. I didn’t know there were outstanding amounts owed to the CEB because the place had been vacant for many months. I found that there had been a ‘red notice’ which had gone unnoticed because the gate was closed and the postman had tossed it into the garden and the wind had carried it out of sight. The CEB had come, as promised and cut the line on account of non-payment. It thrilled me that the CEB was this efficient.

I remembered reading somewhere that Ernest Mandel, a Trotskyite of one of many splinter groups claiming to be owners of the 4th International, seeing some students burning his car during the heady days of insurrection in the sixties in Europe exclaiming with a sense of thrill, ‘Oh my god (!) it is the revolution!’ The CEB cutting the electricity connection of an errant consumer is by no means ‘revolutionary’. The prompt action was what caught me by surprise.

CEB office

I rushed to the CEB office in Homagama. It was almost 4.00 o’clock in the afternoon. There was a payment of some Rs 11,000, accumulated over many, many months. I had only Rs 10,000 on me. The lady in charge of things told me to go and pay the amount at the nearest Food City. I did. I was charged Rs 15 by Food City by way of transaction costs. I came back with the receipt and told the lady that I could only pay Rs 9,985. I asked her if the line would be restored by the following day.

‘Go home!’ she said kindly. I did. A few minutes later, some CEB employees turned up to restore the connection. They were apologetic for taking time getting there; ‘we couldn’t find the place,’ they explained.

People don’t pay up not just because they don’t have money, I felt. People are lazy. The importance of the CEB going after householders is that the principle can be applied to errant corporate entities as well as State agencies. Get the CEOs to go without A/C for a couple of hours and they’ll send off the cheque immediately. At least that appears to be the logic.

I’d rather not hassled by the CEB or any such agency for non-payment. I’d rather not get caught for traffic violations. On the other hand, there are times when I am glad I am fined because it means that there are rules and that their violation may result in some kind of appropriate punishment.

Police officers

I know of someone who was once stopped on Elvitigala Mawatha for speeding (this is before the former Chief Justice did away with speed limits). The speed gun showed ‘57’ (km/hr). My friend, without looking at the officer had said ‘I don’t have a licence, I am not drunk, but you are wrong!’ He had explained upon further questioning, ‘I was not driving at 57 km/hr; I was driving at 80km/hour; not drunk, no licence, but you are wrong.’ The Police officer concerned had been totally rattled and had let him off. There’s a laugh-reason there. There’s a reason to be worried too.

I tell the truth. If wrong, I admit freely. I don’t ask for sympathy from the relevant officer. Sometimes, if it is a ‘border case’ of wrong doing such as crossing the white line, I am let off with a warning and sometimes I am fined. Some Police officers are rude and crude and some are friendly but firm. I am yet to be touched for a bribe and this may be because I make it clear that I was aware I had done something wrong and was willing to pay a penalty if necessary. I like to think so anyway.

I don’t like to pay fines, don’t get me wrong. Each time I get ‘copped’, I become more cautious when at the wheel. I don’t like getting caught twice on the same count. Like all drivers, I too live and learn, err and learn and try to get by. There are things one notices, things one learns to look for.

Police patrols

Over the past several months I noticed something on the Kandy Road. Patrols. Mobile Police Patrols to be precise. I have not many inquiries but it appeared as though the entire Colombo-Kandy Road was ‘covered’ well by the Police. I noticed that compared to say a couple of years ago there seemed to be less congestion (beyond Yakkala on the way to Kandy). I am sure these mobile patrols had something to do with it. I’ve seen them early in the morning, during the afternoon and even late at night, sometimes well past midnight. Police officers in Susuki 250s is a ‘presence’ that must deter criminals, I feel. They must make reckless drivers exercise the little-bit-more of caution that might prevent accidents.

I’ve heard horror stories about Policemen taking bribes. I have heard many people bad mouth Police officers. I haven’t heard many people being appreciating of the risks they take, while on the road and in pursuing criminals. I haven’t heard of many people being sad when a traffic policeman got knocked down by a speeding vehicle or shot dead by a fleeing robber. I am glad they are around, in short.

And I am worried somewhat because I haven’t seen as many mobile patrols in the stretch from Warakapola to Mawanella as I had before.

I don’t know who is in charge of this program. It works, at least much better than systems I’ve seen before. There’s community policing of all kinds. This seemed a good idea. I don’t know if the Kegalle Police are taking a break or are strapped for personnel or believe that such patrols are unnecessary. I don’t know if the relevant numbers (accidents, violations, crimes etc) warrant relaxation of the scheme. Those in charge must know.

All I know is that I feel safer when there are Police patrols on the road. Yes, even if I have to pay for my errors.

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