Senior police officers should hold responsibility for curbing crimes in their areas - Def Secretary

Defence Secretary (Retd.) Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne said the senior police officers-in-charge of provinces should be ashamed of wearing their uniforms if drug trafficking, extortion, underworld activities, illegal logging, running brothels, illegal sand mining and other illegal activities were taking place in massive scales in their respective divisions.

“You need to curb illegal activities that are increasing at an alarming rate without heeding to forces that might influence you and also to protect the dignity of the uniform that you wear. No police officer, from senior DIGs, DIGs to OICs in the area, can wash off their hands as they all are responsible for the increase in crimes rate in their areas,” the Defense Secretary said while addressing senior DIGs and DIGs representing all provinces of the Sri Lanka Police at a special meeting held at the Defence Ministry.

He advised the police officials not to consider the Police profession as just another job as the lives of the country’s people were in their hands, according to a statement issued by the Defense Ministry.

“The responsibility of the armed forces are to protect people in events like major natural catastrophes like floods and landslides, terrorism or hostilities and also virus outbreaks like Coronavirus. But you are the ones who know the pulses of the people. Therefore you shoulder a bigger responsibility in protecting people’s lives,” Maj.Gen.Gunaratne said adding that while many police officers are serving in a dignified manner, some are a disgrace to the entire police department.

The Defence Secretary said he had received letters from the public from different police divisions stating the inefficiency of some policemen, including top police officials in the areas, in curbing crimes and also their involvement with criminals in those areas.

“ Sir, there is no point of lodging complaints about drug peddlers to the police as next day those drug dealers, who were informed by the police on our complaints, are threatening to destroy our families,” the  Defence Secretary quoted from letters that he received from various police divisions and questioned the Senior DIGs and DIGs whether the police could gain any respect in such situations.

“If any of those top police officers, who have had hand in such crimes, are present here today, they should be ashamed of themselves. I have received many complaints that drug trafficking is carried out with the protection of some police cops during curfew and drugs were being distributed in motorcycles and three-wheelers and also using young children with the blessings of those corrupt police cops. I have also received complaints about an OIC, who is  attached to a Northern Police Station, who has taken a large sum of money from a criminal, with the support of another high ranking police officer, to allow him to run his illegal businesses, freely,” he revealed.

Although the Defence Ministry, issuing a letter on April 5 this year has instructed Superintendents of Police (SP) to prepare reports on the underworld criminals and drug traffickers in the respective police divisions, they have failed to submit those reports to the Ministry, so far.
The Defense Secretary has instructed the acting Inspector General of Police Chandana Wickremaratne to look into the matter.