Maximum security to ensure safe polls

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

A massive police strength will be deployed during and after the Presidential polls to stamp out violence and polls related incidents to ensure public safety, said IGP Mahinda Balasooriya at a media briefing at the Police Headquarters yesterday.

He said of the 85,000 police strength 68,800 policemen will be deployed for election duty from today and each polling booth will have 2-3 policemen on duty. The armed forces personnel too have been called upon to assist the policemen in the Northern and the Eastern provinces.

He said this was the first occasion an election will be conducted on a single day after 27 years following the eradication of terrorism. “This time there will be 11,155 polling stations and 413 police divisions where 2,523 armed mobile patrols will be deployed in addition to riot squads placed at strategic locations to deal with any unruly situation during and the aftermath of elections.

“The police headquarters will liaise with Senior Supdt of Police in Divisions during and after elections to ensure a trouble free situation in the country.”

The IGP in a message to the public said that they should safeguard their National Identities and poling cards as they have received information that some groups are engaged in stealing them.

He requested the public to ring 119 and inform police of such instances. The police stations in the country have been briefed on this subject, he said.

DIG Narcotics, Sisira Mendis said that they have received 859 election related complaints since November last year of which three were murder cases.

He said 119 service deserters have been arrested for their involvement in crimes. In addition 645 persons wanted in connections with warrants too have been arrested in three raids conducted by the police during the past few days.