Complaints against police surge

Audit slams Police Commission over massive complaint backlog 

82% of public complaints to commission unresolved 

The National Police Commission has recorded a steady increase in public complaints against the Sri Lanka Police from 2021 to 2024, according to its latest audit report. 

The audit for the year ended December 31, 2024, revealed that complaints against police officers rose from 1,893 in 2021 to 2,863 in 2024. A total of 1,676 complaints were received in 2022, while 2,448 complaints were recorded in 2023. 

Of the complaints received in 2024, 29 per cent were related to police inaction, while 23 per cent involved the misuse of power. 

The audit noted that adequate measures had not been taken to improve the efficiency and independence of the police service as required under Article 155(g)(3) of the Constitution. 

The Chief Accounting Officer of the Commission stated that delays in addressing complaints were caused by unclear information provided by the parties involved, delays in receiving police investigation reports, a vacancy in the post of Deputy Director of the Investigation Division, and the high volume of complaints received in 2024. 

The audit recommended that investigations into public complaints be carried out more efficiently to ensure accountability and restore public confidence in the police service.Meanwhile, the audit further reported that out of 5,935 public complaints received between 2016 and 2024, investigations into 4,902 complaints—about 82 per cent—had not been completed by the end of 2024. It also highlighted that none of the complaints received at the Head Office had been investigated. 

The audit recommended that the investigation process for public complaints be improved and made more efficient.