IGP hands back 23 ‘excess vehicles’

The new IGP N K Ilangakoon has decided to requisition all excess and unwanted vehicles assigned to officers in the Police Department, including him, and re-assign them to Police stations saddled with a severe shortage of vehicles for official duties.

IGP Ilangakoon has already handed back 23 vehicles including motorcycles assigned to his post to the Police Transport Division and directed the division to re-assign them to Police stations experiencing a heavy shortage of vehicles. Police headquarters sources said these vehicles were those set apart for the former IGP’s security detail. Sources said the new IGP believes that such a large number of vehicles are not needed for him as it amounted to a sheer wastage of public funds.

A high official attached to Police headquarters said the new IGP travelled from home up to Parliament roundabout accompanied by one pilot car and one security vehicle only and from there proceeded to Police headquarters with the usual motorcycle escort and other security vehicles to assume duties in his new post on Monday merely as a matter of protocol.

Police stations in many parts of the country, including several special operations units in the Western Province, are said to be experiencing a severe shortage of vehicles for their official duties. As a result certain police officers have been forced to hire private vehicles to conduct special raids. The shortage of vehicles has severely hampered police special operations and sudden raids thereby delaying investigators work.