Author name: Tharindu Withanage

The new building of the Colombo North Division Children and Women’s Bureau, constructed within the Modara Police Station with modern facilities, was opened on 21.08.2025 in the afternoon under the patronage of the Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Priyantha Weerasooriya. The objective of establishing the Children and Women’s Bureau with modern facilities is to create a suitable environment for children and women in the area to file a complaint regarding a problem they have encountered or a crime they have faced, while protecting their privacy, and to create a suitable working environment to prevent crimes against them. This project to modernize children’s and women’s bureaus across the island is being implemented with the direct involvement of the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka and under the financial support of the Japanese Government from the United Nations Population Fund. Mr. Ohashi Kenji, First Secretary and Head of the Economic and Development Cooperation Section of the Japanese Embassy, participated as the chief guest in this event. Facilities such as a designated area for mothers who come to file complaints to breastfeed their children, areas for small children to play, and areas for women to rest have also been set up in this building. Senior DIG in charge of the Western Province, Mr. Sanjeewa Dharmaratne, Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of the Colombo North Division, Mr. B.A. Rohan Pushpakumara, Director of the Child and Women Abuse Prevention Bureau, Ms. S.P. H.W.I.S. Muthumala, Executive Director of World Vision, which provided construction support, Dr. Dhanan Senathirajah, as well as the OICs and officers of the Colombo North Division, participated in this event.

The Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law, Mr Priyantha Weerasooriya, met with the Hon. Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Ananda Wijepala, the Hon. Deputy Minister of the Ministry, Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Sunil Watagala, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Retired Senior DIG, Mr. D.W.R.B. Seneviratne, on the afternoon of 20.08.2025, at the Ministry of Public Security. The two Ministers and the Secretary congratulated Mr. Weerasooriya for successfully assuming his duties as the IGP, and the IGP presented them  commemorative gifts to commemorate the meeting.

The Sri Lanka Police official YouTube channel, maintained by the Police Media Division, was recently awarded the Silver Play Button for reaching one hundred thousand subscribers. The said award was officially handed over to the Inspector General of Police by the Police Media Spokesperson, Director of the Police Media Division, Mr. F. U. Wootler, and the Supervising Officer of the Web and Social Media Branch of the Police Media Division, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mr. Minura Senarath, at the Police Headquarters on the morning of 19.08.2025. On this occasion, the IGP stated that the Police Media Division’s unique ability to present information to the general public through creative videos on programmes for raising public awareness as well as on commendable community welfare work and humanitarian acts performed by Sri Lanka Police, has helped reach the goal of 100,000 subscribers in a short period of time. He further added that this achievement is an important milestone in the efforts to further strengthen the relations between the Sri Lanka Police and the general public. The IGP expressing his views stated that this YouTube channel should be further maintained in an attractive manner to convey accurate information to the public in the course of maintaining law and order, and that it is a special achievement for the Sri Lanka Police as a public institution to be able to receive this award of recognition, which is bestowed upon creative and quality channels worldwide for reaching the threshold of one hundred thousand subscribers.

The Police Savings Association, which was founded in 1924 by the then Superintendent of Police, Mr. J.D. Aitkin, to assist police officers in financial difficulties they may encounter in their personal lives, is successfully maintained under proper procedures and in a manner suitable for today’s world. Its 98th Annual General Meeting was held on the afternoon of 18th August 2025 at the DIG’s office in Colombo under the patronage of Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Priyantha Weerasooriya.  Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police, Rajitha Sri Daminda, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Police Savings Association, along with senior police officers and member officers of the association, participated in this event.  A new board of officers was appointed to key positions in the association, including the Inspector General of Police, who will be constitutionally appointed as the association’s chairman, and new proposals and ideas were presented. 

The newly appointed Inspector General of Police, Attorney-at-Law Mr. Priyantha Weerasuriya, met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat on 15.08.2025  President conveyed his best wishes to the IGP.