Public Security Minister Tiran Alles told Parliament yesterday (13) that 5,000 Police officers will be recruited into the Police service in 2024 to combat crime.
The National Police Commission has approved the recruitment and promotion procedure for all posts in the Sri Lanka Police. Therefore, the minister said that promotions will be given according to the same procedure for the posts in the executive grades.
The minister also said that 175 members of the Special Task Force, who were employed on expressways, were reinstated in duties related to combat drugs and other crimes. He also said that there is a shortage of 2,300 officers in the Special Task Force.
The minister said that the duty of the Special Task Force members on expressways was to act in the events of accidents and fire. In the past 11 months, the group has acted for 164 such incidents, he said.However, the minister said that Rs.260 million was spent per year for the 175 members of the Special Task Force deployed for duties on Expressways.
Minister Tiran Alles stated this while replying to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
The minister further expressed the following views:”We need the special task force to combat the crime. In any country in the world, firefighting and rescue operations are carried out by fire brigades. The Special Task Force of our country was not established for such activities.
“In 2011, the Fire Brigade sent a quote for these activities. Since the prices were high, the Special Task Force was deployed temporarily, but it continued.Now, the related duties on the expressway from Mirigama to Kurunegala are performed by the Fire Brigade. The same procedure may be followed on the other expressways as well. We hope to decide on a specific date for the withdrawal of the Special Task Force after discussing with the Ministry and giving sometime.
“Control of possible criminal activities on the expressways and the safety of commuters will continue to be carried out by the Highways Division.
“The Sri Lanka Police currently has 21,422 vacancies in the general service, 2,345 vacancies in the Special Task Force, and the shortage of officers is not because the Sri Lanka Police is not properly deploying officers, but because the recruitments were not sufficient to fill the vacancies.
“Now, necessary measures have been taken to fill the vacancies in the Sri Lanka Police and Police Special Task Force. Accordingly, 2,000 officers were recruited in 2023 and another 5,000 officers are being recruited in 2024. The National Police Commission has approved the recruitment and promotion procedure for all posts in the Sri Lanka Police. Interviews related to promotion were not held due to the litigations related to the recruitment and promotion procedure. By now, the proceedings have been completed and necessary amendments are being made to the relevant recruitment and promotion procedures. Accordingly, after making the amendments, the relevant promotions will be given in the future.”
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