Police Headquarters to deploy 54,000 Police Officers for Presidential Election 2024 – SDIG Karawita,

Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) Asanka Karawit, in-charge of the Elections, at a special Press Conference held on Thursday (Aug.29), said that Police Headquarters will deploy 54,000 Police Officers for Presidential Election 2024. Special Election Units, with a minimum of 3 Police Officers each, have been set up in nearly 602 Police Stations countrywide, for Election duties.

In addition, in 45 Police Divisions islandwide, a team of more than 7, comprising of Police Officers and government officials, have also been deployed for Election duties. Furthermore, an Election Operations Office has been established at Police Headquarters to supervise reports of Election related events/activities, the SDIG said.

He said that Special Police Officers have been assigned to the main Election office and that, Sri Lanka Police has recruied 1,500 temporary workers to remove illegal posters and cutouts. Accordingly, 169,500 illegal election posters have been removed, with 61,000 taken into police custody. 613 banners have been removed and 510 banners taken into police custody. 5,766 illegal cutouts have been removed and 793 taken into police custody. 2,350 advertisements have been removed and 6,350 taken into police custody, said SDIG Karawita.As informed by the Presidential Candidates, 250 Election meetings have been reported to the Police and security provided to each Candidate according to the intelligence information. Accordingly, the Army has also been deployed to provide security based on intelligence information regarding the threats and security of each Candidate.

SDIG Karawita said the Police alone have received 74 complaints related to the Presidential Election, resulting in 22 people arrested and 2 vehicles taken into police custody. He said that it is not permitted to travel in motorcades for the Election rallies, while cutouts cannot be displayed on vehicles other than only on the vehicle the Presidential Candidate is traveling in, and emphasised that people who violate Election rules will be arrested. He also said that the National flag, religious flags and religious symbols cannot be displayed in Election offices. He said that only 5 people can go door-to-door for Election campaigns and in excess of that is a violation of Election laws.

Also, if Social Media gives publicity to a Presidential Candidate which is prejudicial to another candidate, the Computer Crime Investigation Division will investigate and arrest those who do so, SDIG Asanka Karawita added.

The post Police Headquarters to deploy 54,000 Police Officers for Presidential Election 2024 – SDIG Karawita, appeared first on DailyNews.