Retired SSP S.B. Senaratne was an exemplary officer

Mr. S. B. Senaratne joined the Sri Lanka Police Department almost five decades ago and at the time of his retirement he had been functioning as the Director of Public Relations in the Public Relations Division of the Police Headquarters and was also well-known amongst the journalists for the valuable service rendered by him. Mr. Senaratne who was the Head of the Public Relations Division at the Dept. of Police was not only an officer who led an exemplary life but was also a man who was highly praised and admired by the general public during his career of thirty five years rendering an eminent service in crime prevention and public relations. Justice of Peace Mr. S. B. Senaratne passed away at the age of 83 on December 14, 2014.

He was a student of Kingswood College Kandy where he also for the first time in Sri Lanka performed as a Traffic Warden. Mr. Senaratne from his schooling years displayed his leadership qualities which undoubtedly paved way towards his career in the Police Service thus enabling him of higher accomplishments andin taking up appointment as the Director of Public relations at the Police Head Quarters in later years. 

It was due to his sound knowledge in the Tamil Language that he was able to accomplish his duties to the utmost as a S.S.P. at the Crime Prevention branch in the Jaffna District during the  years of 1978-1979. And it was in the same year that he was awarded the medal, “Poornbhoomi”. Also when Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain visited Sri Lanka in the year 1982, Mr. Senaratne performed his duties as the Media Coordinating Police Superintendent on her tour towards which the Buckingham Palace had issued a special communiqué commending and appreciating the service provided by Him. In addition to his normal duties Mr. Senaratne was also attached to the training institute of the Civil Defence Ministry, as a lecturer. He can also be recognised as a highly distinguished Senior Superintendant of Police who dedicated his valuable time in sharing with others the vast knowledge and the experience he had accumulated over the years. 

The former Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. S. B. Senaratne was one of the inaugural members of the “Industrial Defence Foundation” establishment in Sri Lanka. 

Mr. Senaratne was well versed in Sinhala, English and Tamil. He read many books on ancient heritage of the motherland as well as in Buddhist Philosophy. He loved to discuss those subjects with his friends. Also Mrs. Clodin Beloved wife of Mr. Senaratne, contributed immensely towards the duties of her husband. Mrs. Upekha Senaratne his daughter, a lawyer by profession is employed in the private sector. And one of his son’s who is a doctor is attached to Colombo South Teaching Hospital at Kalubowila. The other two sons are retired as Air Force Officers. 

The unique talent of the Police Superintendent Mr. Senaratne which I personally identified was that he was a unique scholar who had a broad knowledge of the ancient heritage of Sri Lanka and had read many books on the subject.