Sri Lanka to Set Up Over 14,000 Public Safety Committees

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ministry of Public Security has instructed the Sri Lanka Police to complete the establishment of Public Safety Committees across the country by June 20. 

Minister Ananda Wijepala confirmed that Acting Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Priyantha Weerasuriya, has already communicated this directive to all senior police officers.

A circular outlining the formation of these committees was issued on April 8, mandating the creation of 14,022 Public Safety Committees, covering every Grama Niladhari division in the country.

The initiative aims to:

Strengthen police-community relations
Promote peace and security
Combat crime and drug-related threats
Foster interfaith harmony

Each committee will include a designated police officer, and members will be appointed from among retired public servants, former police and military officers, and youth representatives. 

The term of service for committee members will be three years.

The Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of each police station will be responsible for reviewing the progress of these committees on a monthly basis, while Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs) will conduct bi-monthly reviews at the district level.