Public security covers a wide spectrum and involves many stakeholders. One of the primary stakeholders is the police force. The police are the guardians of the law. However the public has a collective responsibility to ensure the safety of their neighbourhoods and workplaces. The global security arena has faced many new threats over the last decade, some of which are case studies of how an individual or group can suddenly unleash mayhem and death in a peaceful environment. One such example was seen at the Boston Marathon bomb blast when an improvised pressure cooker bomb was exploded amidst athletes and bystanders.
In the traditional security sense police forces across the world were always empowered and deployed for crime prevention and crime detection. With a history of more than 150 years the Sri Lanka Police have done their share towards this concept, with some shortcomings. Change is evitable in any field of work in this digitally dominated era, and the Sri Lanka Police need a paradigm shift towards facing unexpected challenges. The police made a significant contribution towards the suppression of subversive uprisings and defeat of terrorism. The Special Task Force did an excellent job in the latter theatre. For the record almost 3,000 police officers have died gallantly in the line of duty, and this is testament to their courage. The STF has lost around 500 personnel.
What are the new challenges to police forces around the globe? Today the “acts of domestic terrorism” and “acts of criminal violence” manifest in new and somewhat innovative forms. Criminals and terrorists have stepped up their game, and the traditional modus operandi sometimes doesn’t make sense and wanders away from human logic. Even FBI psychological profilers are bewildered about some bizarre forms of crime, which deviate from normally accepted human behaviour. One of the emerging crimes in the USA is the dangerous outburst of the ‘lone shooter’. These individuals have some form of hatred towards society and unleash their violence by shooting innocent people in public malls and schools. In the recent past there were two incidents when such enraged ‘lone wolves’ targeted Asians at two separate locations, causing death and disability.
No matter how much manpower or resources a police service has, it is impossible for policemen to be on duty everywhere, round the clock. This challenge is faced globally. For a developed country like USA with a skilled police force and so many specialized counter-terrorism teams it is not possible to secure every public location, i.e., malls, parks, libraries, sporting stadiums, hotels, churches, etc. However, the FBI working prudently with local police divisions has initiated practical public vigilance programmes. There are 1,800 (toll free code numbers) crime reporting hotlines and other terrorism reporting hotlines. Basically if someone sees something suspicious they can call in expecting a positive response. England also has similar programmes, with commendable initiatives from Scotland Yard. Both these countries have another valuable asset: helicopter response teams comprising trained policemen. This system of “eye in the sky” has a twofold benefit. In a strategic security sense, armed policemen can enter a crime scene with the element of surprise. Secondly it boosts public confidence in the police response capability.
At present in the context of this article, Sri Lanka is void of the threats it once faced. But should we not think about our response if a ‘lone wolf’ shooter should suddenly wield an automatic firearm in public? It is a probability which we must anticipate and mitigate. Jane’s Defence Weekly brings to light the changing crime trends and unexpected acts of violence manifesting globally. There is a need for an attitudinal change on the part of the Sri Lankan police in how they view and analyze criminal and terrorist activity. Let me explain this point. During the JVP insurgency in the 1980s, all men sporting beards were often stopped at police check points (irrespective of ethnicity) simply because the late JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera sported a full beard. This shows the generalization of a suspect’s profile. This shows the lack of pragmatic “in-service” training among the lower ranks of the Sri Lanka Police. All policemen and policewomen must have a good knowledge of computers and how to access and research the internet.
For the record I must state that the Inspectorate of the Sri Lanka Police is the backbone of the police force. There are hundreds of hardworking honest officers in the ranks of Chief Inspector, Inspector and Sub-Inspector. These officers perform a massive workload with dedication. One is left to ponder on the updating of effective policing methods amongst the sergeants and constables. Again there are thousands in this rank who perform their duty with dignity and decorum, and should be appreciated. Reverting to future threats globally (and perhaps locally) one area is that of CBRNE – Chemical, Biological, Radiation, Nuclear and Explosives. At present let’s focus on the first three – CBR.
The Sri Lankan mindset had been induced over the years to look out for suicide bombers and automatic rifles. When the war was over we forgot the suicide bomber, until they resurfaced in a different style of synchronized attacks on Easter Sunday 2019. Let’s take a futuristic example – what if someone (local or foreigner) should shrewdly keep a toxic capsule in an AC vent inside a public venue during a conference, or poison food. Public vigilance is needed. Security experts say that ISIS uses radicalized foreigners to launch attacks, and warn that such ISIS operatives can visit any country as tourists. According to the SITE Agency of Maryland, USA, there are about 80 foreign groups affiliated to ISIS, following their extremist ideology.
Thankfully the Special Task Force has highly skilled CBRNE response teams. The STF also has skilled SWAT teams and motorcycle response teams. Other military teams in Sri Lanka (Army Commandos and Air Force SABF) can also be called in to intervene in such situations when required. It has been the aspiration among the public that the Sri Lanka police must have their own helicopters to respond to certain situations, at least in Colombo for a start. This would enhance their operational capability and enrich the image of the police. However the counter argument made in the past decades is that an air wing causes a huge additional cost to the police budget. The present threats globally are within the urban environment FIBUA (fighting in built up areas such as hostage rescue). The military perspective on this threat is coined as MOUT- military operations in urban terrain.
The Sri Lankan public have conveniently moved away from public vigilance, and given their undivided attention to cricket matches and cable television. The public must always assist the police in crime prevention. There are some shortcomings by few police officers in how they respond to the public’s tip-offs, and this has caused a loss in public confidence. The public is sure to see suspicious signs in activities related to drug trafficking, etc. In the incident a few weeks ago when a suspect left a bag in busy Pettah (concealing a dead woman’s body) no one noticed the unattended bag for a long time. What if this bag contained explosives? As I stated, the police can’t be omnipresent. Social media platforms and smart phone apps can be used to alert the police and society of crimes, i.e., missing persons, stolen vehicles, etc. How cautious are we at a railway station platform or sports stadiums?
It is the role of all Sri Lankans to reactivate their vigilance committees incorporating temples, kovils, churches and mosques, in cooperation with their respective police divisions. These vigilance committees yielded good results in the past. All police stations OICs must duly engage the public in a friendly manner to eradicate crime and enhance public security. Female police officers must be sent out more into communities to interact with other women, and build trust. Women (mainly housewives) would be more comfortable reaching out to a woman police officer.
How much does a landlord verify the background of a new tenant? Especially when they rent houses in Colombo. Are there vigilance committees in large government built condominium flats where there are more than 700 to 1,000 apartments? During massive religious festivals does the public assist the police by being vigilant? Do Sri Lankans realize the danger of identity theft, on the digital domain? The police engaged intensively during the Covid prevention programmes, amidst their regular duties. We have to value this fact. We must remember this is our motherland and appreciate our ethnic diversity respecting all religions. The police and public vigilance partnership is vital for public security and prosperity. It ultimately impacts on national security.
