Police university in the offing

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Plans are afoot to set up a Police University which was a long overdue progressive measure meant to overhaul the police force to adapt better to the changing situations and issues.

The Police Department has already drafted a report to take concrete action to set up a Police University, the National Police Commission (NPC) Chairman Prof. Siri Hettige told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

The NPC would facilitate the process to ensure that it is duly set up. "A university dedicated to Police force would open new opportunities for the Force to study not only matters that are directly connected to the Police but also the areas that are relevant to work," he said.

Prof. Hettige said the Police Department has already identified a location for the establishment of this university. "At present, the proposal to establish the Police University is being discussed.

In the near future, the university will give the Police personnel opportunities for their skills development, empower adaptability and orientation about the Police. This would also give Police personnel an understanding of various issues that they have to deal within their scope of work," he said. The NPC Chairman said that there is already a university for the defence sector which offers courses ranging from undergraduate to postgraduate level.

In the case of the Police, he added that the need of the hour is to go beyond the basic training and adapt themselves to the changing context.