Police Commission gets more powers

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

The National Police Commission (NPC) has been given more teeth to tackle problems in the Police Department. A notification to this effect was published in the Government Gazette.

The Chairman NPC, Neville Piyadigama said that the rules of procedure regarding public complaints against police officers have been incorporated for the first time in a gazette notification approved by the Legal Draughtsman and the Attorney General.

He said the Gazette notification of January 17, states that public complaints fall into three categories depending on the seriousness of the complaint. The idea however, was to provide redress to the public. Although public complaints were received earlier, rules of procedure were gazetted only recently, Piyadigama said.

Meanwhile, several NPC offices have been set up in Colombo, Kalutara, Kandy, Gampaha, Ratnapura, Badulla, Anuradhpura, Galle and Matara to receive complaints from the public.

In addition, a separate unit consisting of police officers to investigate serious complaints from different parts of the country will be set up in Colombo to investigate complaints.

Regarding recruitment to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASPs) Piyadigama said it was mandatory to pass an endurance test for both men and women. There were 17 vacancies for the posts of direct ASPs and some vacancies will be reserved for women candidates.

Of the total number of vacancies only 25 percent will be reserved for direct recruitment to the rank of ASPs.

NPC Secretary, K.C. Logeswaran said police reservists have been absorbed into the permanent cadre and steps are being taken to restore seniority for those engaged in police work.

With regard to others engaged in civilian work, we shall request the IGP, to take up their case with the Defence Ministry to create a civilian cadre in the Police Department. We have also taken several important policy decisions to improve the efficiency and independence of the Police Service, he added.

Meanwhile, the National Police Commission had received the following complaints from the public for the following years: (1) 2005-419 complaints.

(2) 2006--1078 complaints. The members of the new NPC are Neville Piyadigama (Chairman) Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, Justice Chandradasa Nanayakkra, S.B. Bandusena, Dr. M. Kopalasundaram, Ms. Charmanie Madurusinghe. The Secretary to the Commission is K.C. Logeswaran.