Sri Lanka to establish over 14,000 public safety committees to boost community security

COLOMBO, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya has issued a directive to establish more than 14,000 public safety committees across the country, according to a circular sent by the police to media on Wednesday.

These committees will be set up in all Grama Niladhari divisions, the smallest administrative units in the country, with a total of 14,022 committees to be formed, the circular said.

The main goals of the initiative are to strengthen police-community relations, maintain peace and security, fight crime and drug-related issues, and promote religious harmony, it added.

Each committee will include a police officer and will be supported by retired public servants, former police and military officers, and youth representatives, and members will serve a three-year term, according to the circular.

The progress of the committees will be reviewed monthly by the officer-in-charge of each police station, while district-level evaluations will take place every two months, overseen by an assistant superintendent of police, the circular said.