The Police Inspectors’ Association is calling for radical changes in the Police Department to stop the service from deteriorating to a level where people would lose faith in law enforcement officials.
These include a streamlined system of merit based promotions, enhanced salaries as well as a retirement scheme after completion of 22 years. The retirement age set for police personnel is 60 years at present.
“Despite the vital role that the police played during the war, we lag behind when it comes to facilities for our men,’ the President of the Inspector’s Association Chief Inspector (CI) Chinthaka Gunaratne said.
There are around 9,000 men and women in the inspector ranks including Sub Inspectors (SIs), Inspectors of Police (IPs) and Chief Inspectors (CIs).
The Association which elected its office bearers recently has decided to take up the major issues that those in their cadres face so as to stop them from been demoralized and assist them to serve the people better.
“There are many in the inspectors’ cadre who are stagnating for years in one rank. Some have been SIs for more than 20 years, so it is natural their levels of frustration are very high,” CI Gunaratne said.
Along with the promotion issue, lack of proper welfare facilities such as housing and vehicles, too, have compounded their problems.
“It is personnel in the inspector ranks who are Officers in Charge (OICs) in police stations, playing a vital role in the community. It is important that the issues they face be dealt with promptly,” he said.
The Association hopes to take up these issues with the IGP so as to get some redress for their grievances. “Police personnel are on 24 hour duty. We forego leave during holidays and work under dangerous situations. Hence there is an urgent need to look into the grievances we face,” he added. |
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