Community policing to boost public interaction

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

Police-public interaction will be further strengthened with the deployment of policemen trained in community policing who will work at grass roots level to solve people's problems.

Senior DIG (Administration) and Chairman, Community Policing Monitoring Committee Gamini Navaratne said the theme of Community Policing was to ensure a peaceful environment in the country after LTTE terrorism was eradicated.

"Over 100 community policing initiatives will be implemented shortly in all parts of the country and 487 Officers-in-charge of police stations will be trained in community policing by April this year. Today we celebrate the first batch of 18 ASPs who have graduated in Community Policing.

Although the three-year community policing program will end on March 13, 2013 the program will continue thereafter, he said.

Bruce Milne of the Scottish Police Academy said that it was a pleasure educating police officers during the past four months.

"We will be delighted to return to Sri Lanka and ascertain the progress that you all have made in community policing." he said. Eighteen ASPs who graduated from the Police Community Training Centre at Gampaha under the guidance of senior Scottish police officers were awarded certificates.

The Community Policing training program is funded by the Scottish Government and is coordinated by the Asia Foundation with the concurrence of the Ministry of Defence.

Last year 26 policemen who successfully completed a course on community policing were awarded certificates by the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, John Rankin and Inspector General of Police (IGP) N.K. Illangakoon at Police Headquarters.

DIG Training and Recruitment Ajith Wickreamsekera proposed the vote of thanks while the Police Media Spokesman Superintendent of Police Ajith Rohana coordinated the event.