Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasuriya said that the Sri Lanka Police face three major challenges, and steps are being taken to address them by improving human resource development, officer capacity, infrastructure and disciplinary control.

He made these remarks while attending the opening of the official residence of the Officer-in-Charge of the Buttala Police Station in the Monaragala Police Division as the chief guest.

The IGP identified the suppression of organised crime, the crackdown on the drug menace, including the arrest of drug traffickers, and traffic control or maintaining road discipline as the three main challenges currently facing the police.

He stressed that strict action would be taken against police officers over disciplinary matters in the future, noting that an institution without proper disciplinary control cannot avoid eventual collapse.

The IGP said between 2,000 and 2,500 police officers retire annually, while around 250 others die or become disabled each year due to accidents and natural causes.

As a result, he said that there is currently a shortage of around 38,000-40,000 personnel in the Sri Lanka Police, adding that approval has been granted to recruit 10,000 officers to address the shortage.

According to the IGP, around 1,500 personnel have already been recruited, while arrangements are being made to recruit a further 950 officers shortly.

He also said steps had been taken to address long-standing delays in promotions within the service. 

He pointed out that delays up to 2019 were concluded by granting promotions to over 4,000 officers, followed by nearly 2,000 additional promotions granted for the period up to 2025.

He said the remaining issues concerning promotions are expected to be fully resolved this year through ongoing merit-based interviews and upcoming competitive examinations, adding that a system would be introduced from next year to ensure that promotions are granted annually on time.

The IGP further stressed the importance of updating officers’ knowledge to address problems and crimes in a complex society, noting that specialised training programmes are being conducted for this purpose.

He said these programmes have also created opportunities for police constables to receive foreign scholarships.

Nearly 1,000 officers have so far been sent for overseas training, while arrangements will be made in the future to allow any officer with the required English proficiency, regardless of rank, to apply for Indian scholarships, he added.

Addressing the gathering, IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya also stressed the importance of officers reflecting on their own performance and fulfilling their responsibilities properly.

“You cannot be satisfied simply by working the required number of hours and leaving. Those who are satisfied with doing only that will regret it at some point in their lives, because they will realise that they did not properly fulfil the responsibilities they were supposed to fulfil during their time.

He said officers should not be satisfied merely with completing their required hours of work, as failing to properly fulfil their responsibilities could eventually lead to regret.

The IGP said his own career progression from the lowest levels of the Police to the position of IGP had been supported by continuously reviewing his own performance and responsibilities.

The reason I am able to speak like this today, having risen from the lowest level of the Police, is because I always reflected on my own performance. Even after I became Inspector General of Police, I continued to review the work I had carried out during my year as Acting IGP, as well as the work I performed after being appointed IGP.

He stressed that an officer’s performance should not be aimed at bringing personal recognition, but at bringing recognition to the police service as a whole.

I must fulfil my responsibilities and perform my duties properly. This should not be done to make myself shine, but to make my service shine. The Police service needs to earn recognition, and for that service to shine, it must earn that recognition in the eyes of the public.

He further emphasised that the police must earn the trust of the public, noting that a police service that does not meet the expectations of the public cannot be maintained without public confidence.

We can never maintain a Police service without public trust if it does not meet the expectations of the public or has lost the confidence of the people.”