Author name: Tharindu Withanage

Three newly constructed police facilities, including the office of the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Uva Province in Bandarawela, were officially opened on August 29, 2026. The Sri Lanka Police is committed to maintaining a strong, efficient and effective mechanism for the enforcement of law and order across all police divisions in the country. In support of this objective, the infrastructure and facilities required to strengthen police operations are being developed rapidly under the direction of the Ministry of Public Security. The Uva Provincial Senior Deputy Inspector General’s Office in Bandarawela, the newly constructed Assistant Superintendent of Police’s Office in Haputale, and the Officer-in-Charge’s residence at Ambagasdowa Police Station were officially declared open on August 29 under the patronage of the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Ananda Wijepala. The Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Mr. Ravi Seneviratne, and the Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya, also participated in the occasion. Badulla District Member of Parliament Ms. Ambiga Samiwel, Uva Provincial Governor Attorney-at-Law Mr. J.M. Kapila Jayasekara, senior government officials, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Western Province Mr. Sajeewa Medawatte, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Uva Province Mr. S.W.M. Senaratne, Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Badulla District Mr. Laksiri Wijesena, Deputy Inspector General of Police of the Monaragala District Mr. Nihal Thalduwa, and other senior police officers in the area were also present at the opening ceremonies. Meanwhile, the development of infrastructure at police stations across the Uva Province is progressing rapidly in parallel with these projects. The newly constructed Ambagasdowa Police Station is also scheduled to be officially opened soon after being fully equipped with the necessary facilities. These infrastructure development initiatives are expected to further improve the working environment and operational capacity of police officers while strengthening the delivery of law enforcement and public security services throughout the Uva Province.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොලිසියේ 160 වන සංවත්සර සැමරුම අභිමානවත් ලෙස සැමරේ.  1866 සැප්තැම්බර් මස 03 වන දින බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය පාලන සමයේ ව්‍යවස්ථාපිතව පිහිටුවන ලද ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොලිසියට 2026 සැප්තැම්බර් මස 03 වන දිනට වසර 160 ක් සපිරේ. සංවත්සර සැමරුම මහත් අභිමානවත් ලෙස පොලිස් ක්‍ෂේත්‍ර බලකා ක්‍රීඩාංගනයේදී සැමරීමට පොලිස් මූලස්ථානය මගින් කටයුතු සැළසුම් කර ඇති අතර පොලිස්පතිතුමාගේ මඟ පෙන්වීම අනුව මෙවර පොලිස් දින සැමරුම විවිධාංග රැසකින් සමින්විත වේ.  2026.08.28 වන දින සිට රූපවාහිනී, විද්‍යුත් හා මුද්‍රිත මාධ්‍ය හරහා මහජන අවශ්‍යතාවයන් මගින් ලබා දෙනු ලබන පොලිස් සේවාවන් සඳහා දැනුවත් කිරීමේ වැඩසටහන් ක්‍රියාත්මක කරමින් පොලිසිය සහ මහජනතාව අතර සමීප සම්බන්ධතාවයක් වර්ධනය කිරීමට කටයුතු ආරම්භ කර ඇත.  මෙවර පොලිස් දින සැමරුම මූලික කර ගෙන පොලිස් ක්‍ෂේත්‍ර බලකා මූලස්ථානය කේන්ද්‍ර කර ගනිමින් මහජනතාවගේ දෛනික කටයුතු වලදී අවශ්‍ය වන නීතිමය දැනුම ඇතුළු සේවාවන්  ප්‍රවර්ධනය කිරීම සඳහා වූ මහජන ප්‍රදර්ශනයක් 2026.09.04, 05 සහ 06 වන දිනයන්හි උදෑසන 09.00 සිට රාත්‍රී 07.00 දක්වා මහජනතාව වෙත විවෘතව තැබීමට සැලසුම් කර ඇති අතර පොලිසියේ ක්‍රියාත්මක විවිධ කොට්ඨාසයන් මඟින් මහජනතාව වෙත සැලසෙන සේවාවාන් සම්බන්ධ දැනුවත් කිරීමේ ප්‍රදර්ශන කුටි වලින් මෙම ප්‍රදර්ශනය සමන්විත වේ. තවද ළමුන්ගේ සහ තරුණ ප්‍රජාවගේ විනෝදාස්වාදය සඳහා මාධ්‍ය කව, යතුරුපැදි සංදර්ශන, පැරෂුට් සංදර්ශන, තුරඟ සංදර්ශන, නිල සුනඛ සංදර්ශන ඇතුළු විවිධ විනෝදාංශයන්ගෙන් සමන්විත වේ. 160 වන පොලිස් සංවත්සරයෙහි 2026.09.04, 05 සහ 06 යන දිනයන්හි රාත්‍රී 07.00 සිට රාත්‍රී 11.00 දක්වා සංගීත ප්‍රසංගයන්ද පැවැත්වීමට කටයුතු සැලසුම් කර ඇති අතර පොලිස් දින සැමරුමට සමඟාමීව දිවයිනේ ස්ථාපිත සෑම පොලිස් කොට්ඨාසයන් සහ පොලිස් ස්ථාන මඟින් විවිධ ප්‍රජා වැඩසටහන්ද සංවිධානය කර ඇත. Sri Lanka Police Celebrates 160th Anniversary with Pride The Sri Lanka Police is preparing to commemorate its 160th anniversary on 3 September 2026 with a series of programs and events aimed at strengthening public awareness and fostering closer relations between the Police and the community. The Sri Lanka Police, which was formally established on 3 September 1866 during the British colonial period, will mark 160 years of service this year. The Police Headquarters has made arrangements to commemorate this significant milestone with a grand ceremony at the Police Field Force Headquarters. Under the direction of the Inspector General of Police, a range of programmes has been organized for this year’s Police Day celebrations. Commencing on 28 August 2026, public awareness initiatives are being conducted through television, electronic and print media to inform the public about the various services provided by the Sri Lanka Police and to promote stronger cooperation between the Police and the community. As part of the anniversary celebrations, a public exhibition focusing on legal awareness and the services required by members of the public in their day-to-day activities will be held at the Police Field Force Headquarters from 4 to 6 September 2026, from 9.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. The exhibition will feature a range of information stalls representing various divisions of the Sri Lanka Police, providing visitors with an opportunity to learn about the services available to the public. The exhibition will also feature a variety of attractions aimed at children and young people, including media demonstrations, motorcycle displays, parachute demonstrations, horse shows and police dog demonstrations, among other activities. Furthermore, musical concerts will be held from 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. on 4, 5 and 6 September 2026 as part of the 160th Police Anniversary celebrations. In addition, a wide range of community-oriented programmes has been organized by Police divisions and Police stations across the island in conjunction with the 160th Police Anniversary. These initiatives are intended to enhance public engagement, strengthen mutual understanding and further consolidate the relationship between the Sri Lanka Police and the people.

Having marked an indelible chapter in the proud legacy of the Sri Lanka Police for nearly four decades as a living symbol of steadfast dedication, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Deva Gamini Samantha De Silva, Commandant of the Special Task Force (STF), retires from his honorable service on August 30, 2026. Born on August 30, 1966, in the beautiful southern village of Ambalangoda—a region rooted in rich history and culture—Mr. Deva Gamini Samantha De Silva is the son of the late Mr. Stanley de Silva, a retired Railway Guard, and Mrs. Kumudini Wijeratne. On December 1, 1986, he joined the Sri Lanka Police as a Probationary Assistant Sub-Inspector through the Kalutara Police Training College. The disciplined young officer received rigorous training, building a strong foundation in both legal knowledge and operational discipline. Demonstrating youthful courage, he joined the elite Special Task Force (STF) at the Katukurunda STF Camp. There, he successfully completed extensive courses in jungle warfare, heavy weaponry, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), map reading, and Very Important Persons (VIP) protection. Serving in STF camps across Kalwanchikudi, Morayaya, and Katukurunda, he actively dismantled terrorist strongholds in the Northern and Eastern provinces. During this service, he earned his first promotion to the rank of Inspector of Police (IP) on January 1, 1991. While deployed at the Kanthankudy/Karaitivu STF camp, he survived a lethal landmine blast orchestrated by terrorists, recovering after hospitalization. Following a transfer to the Gonhena STF Camp, he was later posted to the Ministerial Security Division (MSD), where he served as the Personal Security Officer (PSO) to the late Cabinet Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. Promoted to Chief Inspector of Police (IP) on July 28, 1991, he shouldered heavy responsibilities during the height of the war, serving as the PSO for several Cabinet Ministers. Marking a major milestone in his career, he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) on January 1, 2008. He was subsequently transferred to the Batticaloa Police Division, where he served as ASP Batticaloa. During his tenure in Batticaloa, he represented the Sri Lanka Police internationally as a peacekeeper with the United Nations Police (UNPOL) mission in East Timor (UNMIT), bringing honor to the service. Upon completing his UN deployment, he briefly returned to the Batticaloa Division before being re-posted to the Ministerial Security Division, where his dedicated service earned widespread praise. Promoted to Superintendent of Police (SP) on January 1, 2014, he served in the Ministerial Security Division while concurrently holding the post of Acting Director of the Judicial Security Division. Following his promotion to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) on January 1, 2018, he held key administrative posts, serving as Director (Planning) at the IGP Secretariat, Director of the Grievance Division, and Director of Headquarters Administration. Appointed as Acting Deputy Inspector General of Police on September 24, 2021, he served as DIG (Police Headquarters Range), earning high regard from fellow officers for maintaining law and order across his range. He was subsequently appointed Acting DIG for the Kilinochchi Range. His effective management of public order and strong community engagement earned him broad public respect, enhancing the reputation of the Sri Lanka Police. Later appointed Commandant of the Special Task Force, he was promoted to the substantive rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) on January 1, 2025. He continued to lead the STF as Commandant until his retirement, consistently sharing his operational knowledge and professional expertise with fellow officers. Having completed numerous local training programs as well as specialized training in Russia, DIG De Silva continuously leveraged his expertise to strengthen national security. He remained a dedicated leader who freely shared his knowledge while supporting and mentoring his subordinates. Committed to continuous learning, he earned a postgraduate degree from the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Colombo, demonstrating intellectual rigor alongside his operational leadership. He is married to Mrs. Chamila Dileeka Mendis, the eldest daughter of business proprietor Mr. Cyril Mendis and Mrs. Mabel Mendis of Moratuwa. Together, they have raised a daughter and a son. In recognition of his lifetime of service to law and order and national security, DIG De Silva has received two Special IGP Commendations, special salary increments, and all major service medals awarded to distinguished police officers. As Deputy Inspector General of Police Deva Gamini Samantha De Silva retires on August 30, 2026, after 40 years of dedicated service to the nation and the Sri Lanka Police: Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Priyantha Weerasooriya, together with all officers of the Sri Lanka Police, extend their heartfelt wishes for his health, happiness, peace, and longevity in his retirement.

The Police Headquarters has organised the “Police Cycling Tour – 2026”, a cycling event being held for the first time to mark the 160th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Police, which falls on 03 September 2026. The event will be conducted on 01, 02 and 03 September 2026. The primary objective of this cycling event is to foster trust, mutual understanding and stronger relationships between the Sri Lanka Police and the youth community, while encouraging young people to engage positively with society and contribute to the maintenance of law and order. The cycling event will consist of three stages. The competition will be conducted and judged by qualified cycling officials under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports. * Stage 01 – Colombo to Dambulla The first stage will commence at 07.30 a.m. on 01 September 2026 from opposite the Police Headquarters and proceed through Colombo, Peliyagoda, Nittambuwa, Warakapola, Kurunegala and Melsiripura before concluding in Dambulla. (The estimated distance is 145 km) The prize-giving ceremony will be held in Dambulla under the patronage of the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Central Province. * Stage 02 – Dambulla to Puttalam via Anuradhapura The second stage will commence at 07.30 a.m. on 02 September 2026 near the Dambulla Police Station and proceed through Maradankadawala, Thirappane, Anuradhapura, Nochchiyagama and Kalaoya, before concluding in Puttalam. (The estimated distance is 140 km.) The prize-giving ceremony will be held in Puttalam under the patronage of the Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the North Western Province. * Stage 03 – Puttalam to Bambalapitiya Police Field Force Headquarters The third and final stage will commence at 08.00 a.m. on 03 September 2026 in front of the Puttalam DIG’s Office.  The cyclists will proceed through Chilaw, Marawila, Negombo, Ja-Ela, Colombo, Peliyagoda, Orugodawatte, Dematagoda, Borella and BMICH, before finishing at the Bambalapitiya Police Field Force Headquarters. (The estimated distance is 130 km) The final prize-giving ceremony will be held at the Bambalapitiya Police Field Force Headquarters under the patronage of the Inspector General of Police. All sports clubs wishing to participate in the cycling event are requested to submit their applications via WhatsApp to the following number before 12.00 noon on 25 August 2026. Application forms can be downloaded from the official Sri Lanka Police website, www.police.lk. Contact: Police Inspector Prabath Wijesiri (Manager – Police Cycling)  • 071 921 8626 Awards  The following titles will be awarded at the conclusion of the overall competition:  Overall Champion – The cyclist recording the fastest overall time.  Sprint Champion – The cyclist who accumulates the highest points in the sprint classification.  Best Young Rider (White Jersey) – The cyclist under 23 years of age who records the fastest overall time. Cash prizes, trophies and certificates will be awarded to the winners and participating cyclists at the conclusion of the competition. The Sri Lanka Police will implement a special security and traffic-management plan along the routes and in the areas through which the cycling event will pass. The Sri Lanka Police requests the public to extend their cooperation and support to ensure the safe and uninterrupted participation of the cyclists throughout the event.

A scholarship award ceremony for the children of junior-ranking police officers who have qualified to pursue higher education was held on the evening of 20 August 2026 at Police Headquarters, under the patronage of the Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya. The scholarships were awarded to children selected to pursue the Engineering and Navigation Cadet Officer Degree Program scheduled to be commenced by CINEC Campus (Private) University, Malabe. A total of 11 scholarships valued at Rs. 31 million were awarded to 11 children of serving police officers, providing them with an opportunity to pursue higher education and build careers in the engineering and navigation sector. This initiative represents another significant contribution to the welfare programs conducted by the Police Seva Vanitha Unit for the children of police officers, under the guidance of its Chairperson, Attorney-at-Law Mrs. Nilmini Nita Samaratunga. The Chairperson of the Police Seva Vanitha Unit, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (Administration) Mr. Sanjeewa Dharmaratne, and a group of senior police officers participated in the ceremony. The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CINEC Campus, Captain Mr. Ajith Peiris, who provided this valuable opportunity to the children through the scholarship program, also attended the event. The Vice President and Deputy CEO, Senior Professor Mr. Sampath Amaratunga; Dean and Senior Advisor Mr. Arjuna Ranasinghe; Director of Administration, Finance and Projects Mrs. Tharanga Gamage, and other officials of CINEC Campus were also present. The officials extended their best wishes to the scholarship recipients and encouraged them to make the most of this valuable opportunity to pursue their educational and professional aspirations.