The Human Rights Commission has written to the Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasuriya, recommending that alternative metrics be considered instead of arrest targets when determining police officer promotions.
The letter, signed by the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, retired Judge L.T.B. Dehideniya, is titled “Allocation of Necessary Resources to the Sri Lanka Police and Other Institutional Reforms.”
In the letter, the Human Rights Commission states that it has organized a number of district-level educational programs for police officers on key human rights themes, such as the prevention of torture and deaths in custody. The Commission also informs the IGP that it will inspect police stations through its National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture.
The letter further states that the Commission intends to recommend to the Minister of Public Security that necessary steps be taken to assess the human and physical resources required by each rank of the Sri Lanka Police to perform their duties in accordance with the law. In Part A of the letter, several sub-clauses are listed under the allocation of resources. Sub-clause B, titled “Improvement of health and safety standards applicable to persons in custody at police stations,” includes recommendations such as improving ventilation in detention cells and installing CCTV cameras to monitor all areas where suspects are detained and questioned. These matters are expected to be brought to the attention of the Minister of Public Security.
Part B of the letter, addressed to the IGP under the section titled “Structure for Goals and Incentives,” highlights concerns about using the number of arrests made by police stations as a primary indicator of law and order maintenance in police divisions. The Commission notes that this practice was introduced several years ago and warns that its continuation may create a perverse incentive for police officers to arrest individuals.
In this context, the Human Rights Commission makes the following recommendations in the letter:
- As its first recommendation, the Commission states that the formal and informal targeting of police stations and divisions by the Sri Lanka Police should be reviewed. It further recommends that police officers should not be directed to meet arrest targets imposed informally.
- As its second recommendation, the Commission advises the IGP to use quantitative measures such as operational efficiency, community participation and trust, professional conduct and ethics, skills and competence development, and administrative efficiency for evaluating performance, recognition, and promotion of police officers. The letter also states that metrics such as case resolution rate, response time, arrest-to-conviction ratio, and crime reduction in police jurisdictions should be used, regardless of arrest targets.
Finally, the letter notes that copies have been sent to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, and Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.