Sri Lanka's Public Security Minister has indicated the government is exploring a proposal to allow police officers with good conduct records to continue working for an additional year beyond the age of 60, as part of broader efforts to address staffing shortages in the force.
Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala informed Parliament that the government is examining the possibility of permitting senior police officers with clean disciplinary records to serve for an extra year after reaching 60 years of age. The proposal was disclosed while the Minister responded to opposition concerns regarding unfilled positions within the Police Department.
Wijepala acknowledged that the Police Department faces a significant shortage of personnel and outlined several measures being implemented to strengthen operational capacity. According to his statement, 10,000 members from the Civil Security Department have been assigned to support police operations, with 6,000 already deployed. The government is simultaneously conducting recruitment interviews and has issued a gazette to facilitate the hiring of new officers across various units, including the Police Special Task Force.
The Minister indicated that the administration aims to recruit 7,800 new police officers within the current year. Additionally, 200 senior inspectors are undergoing training at the Police Training College. Wijepala stressed that these combined efforts are intended to alleviate the pressure on lower-ranked officers and ensure the Police Department can discharge its responsibilities effectively.
