Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has confirmed the implementation of essential measures to address vacancies within the Sri Lanka Police and Police Special Task Force.
He said the Sri Lanka Police faces a substantial workforce gap with 21,422 vacancies in the general service and 2,345 vacancies in the Special Task Force.
The shortage of officers is attributed not to inefficient deployment but rather to the insufficient recruitment of new officers to address these vacancies, he said.
In 2023, a total of 2,000 officers have already been recruited, with plans to hire an additional 5,000 officers in 2024. The National Police Commission has granted approval for the recruitment and promotion procedures across all positions within the Sri Lanka Police, with promotions within the executive service category following the same established procedure.
Challenges related to litigation have resulted in the suspension of interviews for promotions, specifically concerning the approved recruitment and promotion procedure for the regulatory service category. The legal proceedings have now concluded, and necessary adjustments are being made to the relevant recruitment and promotion protocols.
Once these amendments are finalized, the Minister has assured that the pending promotions will be implemented in the future.
