What Is Wrong With

10 Monday 7th September, 2009 The Island Features By Gamini Gunawardane learns. Thus the situation keeps remedy after he removed Osmund Rtd. Snr. DIG. on deteriorating in a counter de Silva for political reasons and snowballing effect. The senior paid the supreme prize with his his is a question that many officers on other hand, have no life followed by Mrs. people ask these days wher- What is wrong time pay attention to detail or to Bandaranaike who was nearly Tever one goes. We the police do any creative work in their ousted in the Coup d’ etat of 1962. retirees are particularly embar- higher capacity, beyond perform- But they never learn, these politi- rassed, firstly because there is no ing their routine tasks. The norm cians, from history. Once more short answer to this question. is, to get by each day. Neither the she tried to do this in 1971 when For, it is a many sided problem. officer nor the subordinate is she appointed a Civil Servant to Nor can we show a ‘stiff upper with the tested or held accountable. So no act for IGP Stanley Senanayake lip’ and ‘hold your chin up’ and improvement nor deeper levels of when the latter went to England look the other way, as we have supervision. The result is such as for a short time. But she quickly been taught to do in adversity, Malabe and Angulana incidents. reversed in the face of the fast now because we are no longer in Many more to follow. approaching 71’ Insurgency. And uniform! Consequently, the officer lev- that saved her skin. This also Yet, we the retirees are famil- els lose the opportunity to devel- reminds one of what Gen. Sarath iar with this scenario where, op their managerial and interper- Fonseka said the other day from time to time during the last police? sonal skills though they may addressing some of his officers: 40-50 years there occurs a big fra- acquire the technical skills “What would happen if a pack of cas of scandalous proportions lions is led by a camel ?!” which embarrassed the entire Owing to the fifth stage above, There seems to be a line of Service, to the core. Then they even the most junior police con- thinking these days that since the ask the same question as above stable knows that people are not military officers who did well and the Media and Members of the primary client of the police, under a capable leader, appoint- Parliament roundly castigate the but that his top client really is the ing an Army officer will be the police. After some time, the dust politician. Politician’s require- panacea to all problems. The settles down and police get along ment always takes priority. naiveté in this thinking is indeed – business as usual! Neither the Though the politician is supposed astounding. Because each field is police nor the government nor to be only a representative of the so specialized these days. The the Community at large does any- people, the peoples’ requirement thinking seems to be that “you thing radical to ensure that the came only after his requirement. appoint the ‘right ‘man and the same does not happen again. At Sometimes some members of the rest will fall into place.” One the most, some scapegoat is public with political clout do get shudders to imagine the conse- hanged. their things done when they too quences. This being the case, it is not approach the police through a But this problem cannot be my intention to engage in an government party politician. solved by merely changing the exercise of thorough analysis to That is how the parents of the head. It is a far more complicated examine why the police are in SLITT student were able to stop matter. All that is needed is to this state. But the purpose of this the police from doing what they allow the IGP to function free of essay is to focus on a particular intended to do with their abduct- micro management of the police cause that is usually not noticed ed son. The parents moved fast by politicians and hold the IGP by outsiders. through a relative who was a accountable for the administra- But before that, a few histori- Minister. The people of Angulana tion and performance of the cal sketches. had no such luck. The parents of the saying ‘people get the police the meantime has not much work required for their survival. Thus, police. And allow him and his The police department in its the deceased youth had to be con- they deserve.’ to do other than to be present at there is lacuna in the officering team to do their work. The rest existence for the last 142 years soled after the event, by an In these circumstances, there the many occasions of a VIPs skills at the officer levels. This is will fall into place. (The last time has passed through several stages embarrassed President, having is no hope that the character of who visits his area. In view of the complaint of many subordi- we saw an IGP and a of evolution. 1. A colonial police being invited to his residence. the police will be allowed to the political character and also nates of their superiors. This Commissioner of Police Colombo (1867-1948). 2 .A post colonial Naturally, one is embarrassed develop oriented towards people owing to the security concerns, problem has become further com- lose their jobs for the lapses by police (1948-1972) 3. Political when one’s domestics misbehave, as its chief client, despite lip the entire local hierarchy tend to plicated as a result of the absorp- OIC’s of Cinnamon Gardens and interference stage (1972-1988). 4. The master is embarrassed. service to current world trends be present, mainly to be seen by tion of the Police Reserve into the Kollupitiya Police, was in 1966. Politicization stage (1988- 2001) Judging by what is going on at such as community oriented the VIP. Thus the OIC has not regular force, consequent to an Those were the classical days of 5. Reduction to a status of a present, no government is likely policing etc. So the police are much time to supervise his men election promise. The details of the police.) We should allow such virtual private security service of to change this arrangement with compelled to work within this lat- or look at his records or do any this problem could not be dis- professionalism to grow again in the party in power (2001- to date). regard to the police. In the short est paradigm. Hence, public inter- court work. The snowballing cussed here as it is beyond the the police instead of being a mere Though specific years are given term it is advantageous to the est will be only marginal. effect is that most senior officers scope of this essay. domestic service of the govern- for convenience, they really over party in power to be able to Now I come to my point. I see are found to be immersed in In these circumstances medi- ments. If the governments do this lap, because it is an evolutionary directly manipulate the police. a problem for the police to func- office work, working late into the ocrities have a field day. Of sincerely, a Police Commission process. For, this is the direct exercise of tion effectively as an organization night, mostly doing their subordi- course, to facilitate their upward under the 17th Amendment will Of course, there is a strong civil coercive power. The party in even under this paradigm. It is nates’ work. As a result of the mobility and protection for be superfluous. For, this is much reason among others for the power only realizes the adverse really a structural and a manage- senior officers doing the work of incompetence, one needs the of what the police commission is rapid passage in to the latter effects of this when they become rial defect. Of late, the Senior their subordinates the subordi- ‘political clout, for, efficiency is expected to do. three stages. It is the damage the opposition. They then dare DIGs who form the Top nates miss the opportunity of not the criterion. Hence, out of The president released the caused to the police service while the party in power to hold elec- Management team of the IGP are acquiring more skill, experience necessity, they develop skills of political strangle hold on the on it was going through the socio- tions having implemented the posted to the provinces, to the for- and maturity at their different ‘politician management’ as the 3 Services, in the war effort, political trauma owing to the 17th Amendment etc. But when ward headquarters. He sits over rank levels. Hence, as they go up against personnel management holding the top brass accountable Coup d’ etat in 1962 and the 3 they get back into power they do and above the local DIG in the the ladder, they possess less and etc. for their performance. And they insurgencies that occurred in not wish to change this set up, in provincial capital. He is thus less experience both to manage Starting from here, problems delivered a magnificent result this country since 1971. the interest of the people whose drawn towards the ambit of the their jobs and to give appropriate escalate from one to the other and admired by all. Will the Sri Lanka In fact, after the post colonial sovereignty they exercise. sphere of activity of the DIG, as directions to their subordinates.

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