People’s Committees to assist Police

*Committees will comprise eminent members of civil society

*Means of combating crime

Sandasen MARASINGHE

Measures are being taken to set up Special Advisory Committees at police divisional level with limited authority to enable the Police and the public to interact in a friendly atmosphere and wherein the Police will be furnished with information on criminals, with the larger objective of combating crime.

Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa instructed the Inspector General Police to form Special Advisory Committees at police divisional level comprising members of civil society in the areas. Speaking at the ‘Crime, Corruption and National Security’ seminar at the Information Department auditorium on Monday, the Defence Secretary said the Committee should have some kind of authority to make suggestions in connection with issues that crop up in the area in relation to crimes so that the Police would be able to take into account such suggestions and views.

The Defence Secretary responding to media personnel said the concept of Community Police was a remarkable success during the conflict years, yet it became inactive with the elimination of terrorism.

He said the same concept could be used to minimise the crime rate but such a committee should be given some authority as well.

Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said the Police cannot fully control crime without public support and therefore such a body would be the ideal source for the Police to find out about crime, identify suspects and arrest them.

The Defence Secretary said the IGP has also been instructed to send Police personnel without firearms before the public to conduct investigations so that they could win public goodwill. He said special training is to be provided to police personnel on duties since a majority in the service, except for few senior officers who joined the service before the commencement of terrorism , have very little experience about police duty.

He said most police officers had joined after the commencement of terrorism and subjected to a two month course specially in weapons training to combat terrorism.