Over 1,100 HQIs, OICs permanently reside in their assigned divisions: Study

Colombo, May 1 (Daily Mirror) - It has been revealed that out of the 5,308 Headquarters Police Inspectors (HQIs), Station Officer In-charges (OICs), and sectional OICs (Crimes, Administration, etc.), a total of 1,106 officers permanently reside within the police division where they are stationed, accounting for 7.2% of the total.

This was revealed in a latest study conducted by the Senior DIG of the North Central Province Priyantha Weerasuriya on the instruction of the IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon. The report was handed over to the IGP yesterday.

According to the report, the highest number of police officers in the Mannar Police Division perform their duties in the same area where they permanently reside. Similarly, officers residing in areas like Anuradhapura and Matara also contribute to this trend.

“This has led to a higher rate of reported crimes in these divisions, with Anuradhapura Division standing out as an example with the highest crime rate in the last three years. Challenges such as housing availability and transportation costs have influenced officers to work in their residential areas, potentially impacting their impartiality in carrying out duties,” the report stated.

The report suggests biases in their actions, affecting performance and crime prevention efforts.

Short-term, medium-term, and long-term recommendations have been proposed to address these issues, with the Police Headquarters indicating that the IGP will take necessary actions in response to the findings.