The Senior Police Officers of the Sri Lanka Police have informed the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) that they have started the process of disposing of the expired tear gas belonging to the police and will never use them.
Thus, the committee has advised to dispose of the expired tear gas existing in all police stations in Sri Lanka.
The chairman of the committee informed them to prepare a report and submit it to COPA on the measures taken according to international conventions in the control of public riots, including tear gas.
These matters were discussed recently (26) when the Sri Lanka Police was called to the COPA to examine the Auditor General’s report and current performance for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, the Inspector General of Police and many senior police officers were invited to this event.
Chairman of the COPA State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna, informed the police to provide the upcoming proposed program of the police department within a month to provide efficient service using modern information technology.
When the police department was called before the COPA committee in 2016, it was questioned that a recommendation had been given in this regard, but it has not yet been implemented.
The Inspector General of Police said that since it is difficult to set up a single information technology system for the Sri Lanka Police, steps will be taken to introduce information technology systems in parts.
Accordingly, the Inspector General of Police said that a new pilot project is currently being implemented in Hatton and Nuwara Eliya Police Stations where details can be obtained from the filing of a complaint to the status of court proceedings.
The committee chairman emphasized that it is essential to establish an information technology system in the police department where relevant information can be obtained immediately by integrating the motor transport department and other institutions. Accordingly, he instructed to give a report on the current program and the proposed plan to the committee within a month.
Issues such as the lack of female police officers in the Sri Lanka Police were also addressed. It was revealed that there are 2419 female police constable vacancies and it was proposed to complete this amount in the year 2023, but it could not be done due to the current economic situation.
Here, the Inspector General of Police said that the old situation in the police has been changed and the necessary reform program has been started to provide opportunities for women to higher positions including the position of Inspector General of Police in the future. Accordingly, he said, an opportunity will be provided for the emergence of a future female Inspector General of Police.
