Nearly 70,000 Police, Civil Security personnel, deployed for Prez poll duties

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

A total of 60,175 police officers and 8,080 Civil Security Officers would be deployed for duties at the Presidential Election, police said.  
Police Spokesman SSP Ruwan Gunasekera said these officers would be assigned for duties at polling booths, counting centres, patrols, road duties and other security duties.  
He said 25,712 police officers would be deployed at 12,856 polling booths with two police officers each.  

“There are 6,086 Police Officers and 6,086 Civil Security Officers deployed for mobile patrols. “A Police Inspector / Sub Inspector, one Police Sergeant / Police Constable and two Civil Security Officers would be deployed for each patrol covering 3,043 police mobile patrol units,” the spokesman said.  
He stated that a total of 2,193 police officers comprising of an SSP or SP, five IPs or Sub Inspector, 5 Police Sergeants and 40 Police Constables, would be assigned to 43 counting centres.  

“There are 54 full riot squads and 99 partial riot squads which have been established and 1,233 officers are deployed in a total of 153 riot squads,” he said.  
A total of 1,688 police officers and 190 civil security officers have been deployed for duties at road blocks. There are 190 roadblocks which have been established to cover this period.  
In addition to the welfare duties of the officers, “119” duties, court duties, traffic duties, VIP security duties, police station security duties and election complaints investigations duties are also being carried out during the period of the presidential election, SSP Gunasekera commented.  

Police said the STF would also be deployed for certain identified duties such mobile patrols with the police and STF personnel would be deployed at counting centres in addition to the police.