The Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security has drawn attention to the fact that some people were getting the services of private security guards for their own protection, the Parliamentary Communications Department said.

In a statement, it mentioned that the matter was discussed when the said committee met in Parliament on 22 November 2023 under the chairmanship of MP Sarath Weerasekera. 

The members of the committee pointed out that the public is facing some oppressive situations due to some people who are escorted by private security guards. The senior police officers said that legally the police cannot intervene in the personal security of a person. 

However, the committee pointed out that since the personnel of those private security services use weapons, certain regulation is necessary. The Committee decided to inform the Ministry of Defense to prepare criteria for regulating private security services, it said.

There was also a lengthy discussion in the committee about the growth of underworld activities. It was also revealed in the committee that certain persons in the service of the armed forces show an increase in resorting to committing crimes. The Inspector General of Police pointed out that there is some weakness in the identification of criminals. 

The IGP further commented that if there are competent OICs to identify criminals in their areas, crimes can be prevented before it happens and therefore attention has been paid to identify competent police OICs and send them to the respective areas for service, the statement mentioned.

Drug control was also discussed at length in the committee. The police officials pointed out that the drug traffickers are working to make the school children addicted to drugs by giving them the pills. 

They further commented that the first thing that should be done in drug control is to prevent those drugs from entering the country. The committee also discussed the need for strict enforcement of laws such as confiscation of property of drug traffickers.

The chairman pointed out that the country loses a large number of lives due to road accidents. The chairman recalled that 29,000 war heroes died in the 30-year war in Sri Lanka, and 27,000 people died in road accidents in the last 10 years alone. Accordingly, the Chairman instructed to purchase the necessary equipment as soon as possible to identify the drivers, who drives under the influence of drugs and provide them to the police stations all over the island.

It was pointed out that there has been an increase in robberies and most of them are due to the carelessness of people. The police pointed out that it is very important for people to pay more attention to their houses, buildings and other properties, it added.

Members of Parliament Rauf Hakeem, Chandima Weerakkodi, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, Charles Nirmalanathan, Dr. Major Pradeep Undugoda, Major Sudarshan Denipitiya as well as the officials including the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and the Inspector General of Police were present.