Ministers' Security Division

ief Superintendent of Police on the 3rd of September 1866. In 1867, by an amendment to the Police Ordinance No. 16 of 1865, the designation of the Head of the Police Force was changed from Chief Superintendent to Inspector-General of Police. Therefore, 3rd of September 1866 can be considered as the beginning of the country’s present Police Service. Campbell is credited with shaping the Police Force into an efficient organization and giving it a distinct identity. He brought the whole island under his purview and the police became a national rather than a local Force

First Superintendent of Police & his Staff
Mr. Thomas Oswin, Secretary to the Chief Justice, was appointed the first Superintendent of Police of Colombo, C.M. Schubert was appointed as the Chief Constable, 5 Dutch Constables, 10 Police Sergeants and 150 Peons were also appointed. Lokubanda Dunuwila, who was the Disawa of Uva, was appointed as the Superintendent of Police for Kandy. He goes into history as the very first Sri Lankan to be a Superintendent of Police. Colepeper was entrusted with the task of re-organizing the Colombo Police. He divided the Force into three classes of officers – the Inspectors, the Sergeants and the Constables. The new rank of Peon was abolished. In 1847 the ranks of Assistant Superintendent of Police and Sub Inspector of Police were created. Inspector De La Harpe was promoted as the first Assistant Superintendent of Police. First Sri Lankan Inspector General
On the 1st of June 1947 Sir Richard Aluvihare, was the first Sri Lankan to hold the office of Inspector General, assumed duties. The Police Department, which was under the Home Ministry, was brought under the purview of the Defense Ministry Sir Richard was faced with the unenviable responsibility of transforming the Police Force from its colonial outlook to a National Police with the gaining of independence 1948. To this end he introduced a large number of innovative measures, which embraced the welfare of the men, investigation, prevention and detection of crime, the women police, crime prevention societies, rural volunteers, police kennels, public relations, new methods of training and improvement of conditions of service. He transformed the Police Force into a Police Service. Its role was narrowly defined and restricted to the maintenance of law and order and prevention and detection of crime. The Traffic Administration and Road Safety Range has been formed under the supervision of a DIG at the Police Headquarters for the purpose of bringing under its control the growing number of motor vehicles that converge on to the main thoroughfares everyday. This Range is also responsible for the prevention of motor accidents from occurring, together with protecting property from such motor accidents, and also issuing circular instructions to all the Territorial Police in order to implement a better traffic management in the county. In order to carry out these tasks in an organized manner throughout the country, Traffic Branches have been formed in each of the Police Stations in the County. Range Traffic Divisions also have been set-up to supervise and guide these traffic branches who should liaise with the respective Range DIG's and the Police Headquarters Traffic Range. In addition, there are awareness-building programmes, which are being carried out which various segment of society as target groups in order to give them an orientation on the correct usage of roads. With a view to curb the high incidence of crime in the country, which is assuming alarming proportions, Range Crime Detection Branches have been established in all the Police Stations. These Range Branches are headed by Senior Gazetted Officers. There is also a Division in the Police titled as Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children & Women that is assigned with the task of taking different action against all crime perpetrated on women and children, which ranges from physical violence to sexual abuse. There also facilities available to them for their complaints to be recorded by female Police Officers and that too in a place away from public gaze so as to insulate them from any derisive comment by uncouth elements that would affect their self-respect. Specially selected Officers attached to all the Police Stations in the country have been trained by this Bureau to carry out these services island-wide. The growing menace of drug addiction that is assuming alarming proportions particularly among the youth segment of our society is in constant check with the establishment of the Police Narcotic Bureau, based in the Police Headquarters. Also, every Police Officer is being given the necessary training on how they should deal with such instances of drug addiction. These steps have been taken because the Police is conscious of the need to wipe out this scourge from our society as soon as possible. Also, in order to provide protection to Police informants, strict measures are being taken not to expose them by revealing their identity to general public. Provision is also available for any member of the general public to convey to the Police any information relating to crime committed or about to be committed, even through anonymous telephone messages or letters, all which will be entertained and looked into. This would provide a fool-proof method for such Police informants to perform their tasks unhindered and without any danger of their identity being revealed, which would otherwise have serious consequences to them for being duty-conscious in their obligations to society. This information can be furnished either to the respective Police station or to 1-1-9 Emergency Service. As an encouragement to such civic-conscious citizens to bring to the notice of the Police vital information that will lead to the detection and apprehension of offenders, there is provision for informants to be rewarded handsomely as an incentive for their public-spirited initiatives. The Police of today in principle is committed to serve the needs of the people in particular. In order to do so, its personnel are expected to treat them with fraternal care which attitude should be well understood by both the Police and the general public. For, it should be borne in mind that when there is a need to make a complaint or seek redress the public almost invariably have to go to the Police Station close to them. If under such an atmosphere of cordiality, investigations into such complaints are conducted with mutual goodwill and understanding, then, it will be possible to develop a healthy relationship between the Police and the neighboring community that comes within their area. It is therefore from such Police officers who have the qualities of leadership, honesty and efficiency that civil society would be benefited in no measure. It is duty cast on us, this occasion when we are commemorating the 147 Anniversary of the establishment of the Police service in our country, to recall with gratitude the great sacrifices of all those officers who have preceded the present generation of such officers, even at the cost of their own precious lives. They had done so in that manner in the course of carrying out their duties conscientiously not only to maintain law and order in the country but also to preserve its territorial integrity in the midst of so many odds.