“RULE OF LAW – ENSURE PUBLIC PEACE” 159th Anniversary of Sri Lanka Police
The 159th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Police, an institution with a history spanning over a century and a half, will be celebrated on 03rd September 2025. 03rd September 1866, the day Mr. G. W. R. Campbell was appointed as the first Inspector General of Police, is recognised as the foundation day of the Sri Lanka Police. Accordingly, having to celebrate 159th Police Day within a fortnight from Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya’s (Attorney-at-law) assuming duties as the 37th Inspector General of Police marks a significant milestone, since the day of assumption of duties in the office of Inspector General of Police is commemorated as the Police Day. Historical evidence substantiates the fact that there had been duties similar to the police duties even within the period when the system of monarchy prevailed in Sri Lanka. When tracing the history of police, facts emerge on how the police duty marked its inception during a time when foreign nationals invaded this country which was ruled under a system of monarchy. Subsequent to the Dutch occupation of the coastal areas in 1602, the Colombo Municipal Council approved a proposal in 1650 to deploy guards for the protection of the city at night. Accordingly, four soldiers were employed to conduct night patrols in the city, which can be considered the initial duty of the Sri Lanka Police. On 16th February 1796, the Dutch surrendered to the British, and from then onwards, the British Army was responsible for maintaining law and order in the country. An additional financial burden regarding the supervision of the police fell heavily on the government. As a result, Governor Frederick North, with the consent of the Chief Justice, entrusted the responsibility of overseeing the Police to the magistrates and Police judges. A law was passed for the first time with regard to the Sri Lanka Police after a short period of time from the occupation of Sri Lanka by the British. Afterwards, regulations were enacted in 1806 to appoint a Police Officer or a type of headman named Village Police Vidane for each village. They were held accountable to the Government Agent of the respective district and were also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining order and investigation of crimes in the relevant villages under their purview. Since the title of the head of the Police Force was changed from Chief Superintendent of Police to Inspector General of Police with the amendment of Police Ordinance No. 16 of 1865, the statutory establishment of present police service occurred on 03rd September 1866. The Governor, Frederick North, who was looking for a dynamic person to reorganize the police in the Island, conducted some observations into such affairs, with the intention of drawing inspirations from the police duties in India. The Governor of Bombay recommended Mr. G. W. R. Campbell, who was in charge of the “Rathnagiri Rangers” of the Bombay Police, to shoulder this onerous responsibility. Mr. Campbell was selected by the Governor and he assumed duties as the Chief Superintendent of Police on the 03rd of September 1866. By 1843, the existing Police Ordinance was repealed, granting the Governor the authority to establish Police Stations at any location on the Island. In 1845, the position, Inspector of Police was introduced, increasing the number of Police officers, and the rank, Police Constable was introduced, replacing the rank of Police Peon. In 1870, with the objective of unravelling the increasing commercial crimes, baffling murders, and mysteries, deployment of Police officers in civil attire was initiated. Subsequently, the Criminal Investigation Department was inaugurated by Major Knolis who was appointed the Inspector General of Police in 1891 and the first Officer in Charge of the said establishment was Inspector of Police Mr. Kothalawala. Sir Richard Aluvihare, commenced duties on 01st June 1947, as the first Sri Lankan Inspector General of Police and the Department of Police, which remained under the Ministry of Home Affairs at that time, was brought under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. Following independence gained in 1948, Sir Richard Aluvihare was tasked with transforming the Police Force into a Police Service divorced from the vestiges of Colonialism. Shouldering the said responsibility in an effective manner, he performed an invaluable service towards the progress of the Sri Lanka Police by focusing on the welfare of officers, investigation, crime detection, crime prevention societies, volunteers of rural watch, police huts, public relations, and development of new training methods. The Police Kennel duty, recognized globally as an area of expertise in crime-solving, was established within the Sri Lanka Police in November 1948. Currently, various police canines are deployed across 54 units island-wide, significantly contributing to crime investigations, drug detection, and explosives identification. In 1952, the Sri Lanka Police started recruiting female officers, and since then, they have advanced through various ranks, from Woman Police Constable to Woman Deputy Inspector General of Police, contributing greatly to the Sri Lanka Police. The Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women established in 1979, now operates across all police stations with the active participation of female officers. During the tenure of Inspector General of Police Mr. Chandra Fernando in 2006, a special unit named SOCO was established by giving special training for Scene of Crime Officers by the Swedish Police to investigate crimes reported to the Sri Lanka Police. The officers who obtained the said training are deployed across 43 units island-wide and are performing criminal investigation duties. In addition to the training provided by the police colleges, a training institute known as the Police Higher Education Institute was established in 1978 with the aim of equipping police officers with the knowledge necessary to address future challenges facing the Sri Lanka police. Thereafter, it was reestablished with the name of Sri Lanka Police Academy in 2008 and later as the National Police Academy by the Parliament Act No. 04 of 2011 for carrying out courses in coordination with universities, paving its path to award a police degree in the future. In 1983, the Special Task
