By Methmalie Dissanayake in Ceylon Today, Nov 24, 2023
Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles, claimed in Parliament yesterday (23) that, in his view, deploying the Police and Military exclusively to address the Aragalaya and its associated incidents for about a year, resulted in diverting the attention of the law enforcement agencies away from underworld activities and drug-related issues in the country.
Speaking during the Committee Stage debate on Expenditure Heads on Defence and Public Security, the Minister explained that the Police had to divert their full attention to Aragalaya, thereby shifting their focus from other duties and responsibilities.
Highlighting the challenges faced by the Police Department, the Minister mentioned that there are more than 20,000 vacancies within the department. He outlined steps being taken to gradually address this shortage, considering the ongoing economic crisis.
“We have successfully recruited 2,000 Police personnel this year, and our plan is to recruit an additional 5,000 personnel in the coming year,” Minister Alles added……
https://ceylontoday.lk/2023/11/24/aragalaya-diverted-police-military-attention-away-from-drugs-underworld-minister-alles/
