How efficient are our police?

A friend of mine related the experience he had after some burglars had tried to enter his house. Fortunately for the occupants the burglars could not enter the house. As they had installed CCTV cameras, the whole episode had been recorded on them. When he telephoned the police and informed them, indicating that the persons could be identified by going through the recording in the cameras, the police had asked whether anything had been stolen. As the answer was in the negative, the Police had stated that if nothing had been stolen, no action could be taken against the intruders.

This is the usual reaction by the police in Sri Lanka. When a robbery or murder is committed, the police will come to the scene of the crime and the first question they ask is who do you suspect. If the victims suspect anyone, they could attend to it themselves without troubling the police.

The efficiency of a police force in any country could be judged by the general appearance of the persons in service. In Sri Lanka, about seven out of ten policemen you see daily would be in bad shape. That is, they would be having bulging stomachs so that they would not be in a fit state to give chase after a criminal in a hurry!

Gradually, the Police seem to be getting corrupted with some policemen involved in the distribution of narcotics, others taking bribes, some trying to help murderous criminals to escape from police custody and some even involved in murders. These were never heard of in the good old days where every policeman was respected.

Now even with a top-heavy police force with so many Senior DIGs and DIGs around, the criminals seem to be having a field day! The crime rate of has increased by leaps and bounds while the government is haggling over the appointment of the next IGP.

It is time an efficient IGP was appointed to put things right in the Police Department.

HM NISSANKA WARAKAULLE