Governance of the police and their relationship with civilians during the postwar period: special reference to Mannar District

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to find out how far the police has been effective in their governance in the North, Sri Lanka. A sample data was collected though the junior police officers and the Officer in Charge who have been allocated to Iluppaikkadavai Police station, Mannar District. Data was collected from both genders above 18 years of age. Primary sources used are mainly questionnaires and direct interviews with the police officers and data collected through 35 civilians. Secondary data used for the research was information gathered from relevant books, journals and the internet. Quantitative data will be presented through a summary of the results for the statistical tests. Data is presented via data analysis by charts, figures, and graphs when necessary. The relationship between the public and the police is one that has been debated for many years. The police station concerning this area is not one with a blemished record. But the findings make clear that the police officers give enormous help to these poor people when they come to make complaints. Nevertheless, the increasing number of complaints clearly states that people have faith in the police now than then. Mutual understanding between the village folk and the police is a salient factor for this research. Good will and understanding prevail between both parties. A matter of comment is that the police station is handicapped with man power and other essential resources. There is a requirement of infrastructure facilities like transport, sanitation and communication. Fulfilling the lack of resources and developing the Tamil language skills of Sinhalese police officers are of utmost importance to be considered.