The Sri Lanka Police will be out in force today, providing security and enforcing election and COVID-19 related public health regulations across the Island. 

According to Police Election Division Director SPP Ashoka Dharmasena, a total of 82,091 personnel from the Police, Special Task Force (STF), State Intelligence Service (SIS), and the Civil Security Department (CSD) will be on duty during and after the elections. 

The Police have deployed more than 25,000 Police personnel to provide security at 12,984 voting centres, while 3,328 will provide protection to 64 counting centres run by the Elections Commission. 

“We will deploy 45 STF personnel and 50 CSD personnel to provide outer perimeter security to each counting centre,” Dharmasena said at a press conference yesterday. More than 3000 mobile patrols made up of Police, STF and CSD personnel are planned for today, while the Police began to increase patrolling on 3 August during the 48-hour pre-election cooling period, where campaigning is prohibited. 

In addition to the 148 permanent roadblocks manned by the Police across the island, 121 temporary roadblocks will be in place today, to provide additional security to the 64 counting centres. The Police will also deploy 64 “Ready-Riot Control Teams”, while 89 teams will be on standby to respond to any civil disorder, Dharmasena said. 

A total of 61,078 Police personnel, 3,145 STF commandos, 10,750 CSD personnel, 1433 Intelligence Officers from the SIS, and others from a range of law enforcement agencies have been deployed to ensure a free and fair General Election is held, while public health regulations are upheld. 

Police arrest 22 candidates for violating election regulations