The Sri Lanka Police have issued a special notice reminding the public to use the 119 emergency hotline responsibly.
Authorities noted that the hotline is intended for urgent situations requiring immediate police action. However, investigations have revealed that it is often misused for false reports or non-police-related inquiries, which can delay response to genuine emergencies.
The police warned that providing false information to the 119 service is a punishable offense under Sri Lanka’s legal framework, and legal action may be taken against offenders.
To ensure the 119 hotline remains available for true emergencies, the police have provided a list of alternative short-dial numbers for other services:
Police Emergency Service – 119
Women Help Line – 1938
Child Help Line – 1929
Fire and Rescue Service – 1100
National Transport Commission – 1955
Drug Organized Crime Emergency Unit – 1997
Bureau for Prevention and Investigation of Abuse of Children and Women – 1090
Emergency Call Center (Tamil Medium) – 1070
Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption – 1954
Expressway Emergency – 1969
Department of Immigration and Emigration – 1962
National Dangerous Drug Control Board – 1984
Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment – 1989
National Help Desk (Ministry of Defence) – 118
Disaster Management Call Center – 117
Sri Lanka Tourism – 1912
Government Information Center – 1919
The police urge citizens to use these numbers for non-police emergencies and reserve 119 exclusively for urgent police assistance.
