Sunday Times 2
Police urgently need a counselling bureau
With authoritarian governance and politicisation of the Police Department, police officers, especially the lower ranks, are working under much stress and trauma.
Brickbats are thrown at them from all directions, and no bouquets for the thankless job they are faced with. Corrupt politicians, powerful underworld elements and all kinds of racketeers manipulate allegations against policemen who refuse to cooperate with their nefarious activities, and the helpless policemen have to bear all this in silence.
The stress and trauma thus created manifests in too many policemen giving vent to their bottled up feelings on the public as evidenced of late. The ‘remedial measures’ taken by the Inspector General of Police and senior police officers are to meet out stern punishment to the errant junior officers. This only adds to their trauma. Now a serious psychological problem is pervading the Police Department.
A glaring case is the one involving Police Constable Suminda Saman.
Police officers assess the damage caused to PC Saman’s Nano car after it was smashed by a gang
On May 20, 2014, PC Saman had been on duty at the Kottawa entrypoint on the Expressway. With him were Kottawa Police OIC Galagedera and PC Madurangala. On receipt of a communication from the Kurundugahahethakma entry point that a maroon BMW car was travelling at a speed of 141 kmph (speed limit is 100 kmph). PC Saman stopped the car, explained the charge to the driver Gayan Madusanka and issued him with a ticket to pay a fine of Rs 1000. Deputy Minister Hemal Gunasekera who had been travelling in the car is then alleged to have turned abusive, and the episode lasted about 40 minutes till the deputy minister’s personal security officer, IP Navaratna turned up at the scene. Having spoken to the deputy minister IP Navaratna asked PC Saman to pay obiesance to the deputy minister and ask for his pardon. PC Saman declined to do so stating that he had merely done his job. The PSO is then alleged to have said, “Then you will have problems.” Thereafter the deputy minister and the PSO left towards Colombo. PC Saman and the other two Police Officers made relevant entries in regard to what took place. The following day PC Saman and the other two police officers were summoned and statements recorded over a verbal complaint made to Senior DIG Admin Navaratne by the deputy minister. Director Highway Patrol, SP Mahen Gunasekera, had prevailed on PC Saman not to implicate the deputy minister but PC Saman insisted on stating exactly what happened. Two days later, when PC Saman was at his duty point at the Expressway Gate, SP Mahen Gunasekera had sent him away asking him to remain in the station lest the deputy minister sees him on duty on the Expressway. This has been followed with a message not to detail PC Saman on Expressway duty but only on station duty.
On May 30, PC Saman was on his way to the station from his home at Gamagoda in his Nano car KS 5948. Around 7,45 pm his car was blocked by a cab at Dodangoda and he was attacked by a gang who had come in the cab. He managed to escape with injuries to his body but the gang set fire to his car. PC Saman was admitted to the State Hospital in Kalutara and received treatment. Medical reports testify to his injuries.
On July 16, 2014 PC Saman had been taken by surprise when he received notice to appear in High Court, Colombo in connection with an allegation of Bribery made against a team of police officers that included PC Saman and led by SI Dunuwille. Background to this Bribery allegation was that a motorcycle team had been detailed under the supervision of SSP Kalutara, Ravi Wijegoonewardena, in 2008 to raid illicit dens not raided by the local police stations. PC Saman had been in this motorcycle squad. After a raid in the Kalutara South Police area, three persons were charged with possessing bottles of kasiuppu. The suspects had made an allegation of bribery against SI Dunuwille and the police party that included PC Saman.
This complaint was forwarded to the Bribery Commission and the officers’ statements were recorded. Subsequently all three accused in the kasippu case pleaded guilty to the charges and fined and as far as the detecting officers were concerned the Bribery inquiry for all intents and purposes, was over. But on or about July 16, 2014 these police officers received notice of a bribery case against them. How the normally dormant Bribery Commission had suddenly sprung to life, says it all.
What the Police Department needs urgently is a counseling bureau to tackle the psychological problem pervading the Police Department. Officers selected to this bureau should not, as usually happens, be officers displaced from their positions due to the prevailing conditions, but those selected for aptitude in counselling and trained in counselling. The IGP should look into this urgent need seriously.
(The writer is a retired Deputy Inspector General)