The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection has sought the views and proposals of the Police Department on measures to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
The issue was discussed at a recent committee meeting held at Parliament under the chairmanship of Committee Chairman and Member of Parliament Najith Indika.
The meeting focused on procedures followed by the Police Department from the arrest of suspects in drug-related cases to the filing of charges, as well as legal obstacles affecting the process.
Delays in drug-related court proceedings and obtaining reports from the Government Analyst were also discussed, with the committee noting that such delays contribute to the increasing number of suspects held in remand custody.
The committee stressed the need to use modern technology not only to apprehend individuals involved in drug offences but also to identify and disrupt drug-trafficking networks and trace their illegal financial transactions.
The need for appropriate regulatory mechanisms to prevent drug traffickers from misusing digital money-transfer systems operated by telecommunications companies for illegal transactions was also highlighted.
The meeting also considered strengthening community-based rehabilitation programmes as an alternative to imprisoning people addicted to drugs, increasing public participation in crime prevention and amending existing laws to meet current requirements.
Officials proposed establishing a modern forensic laboratory within the Police Department to accelerate criminal investigations. The committee noted that faster analysis of scientific evidence could help expedite court proceedings and reduce the number of people held in remand custody.
The welfare, professional training and investigative skills of police officers were also discussed, along with the need to strengthen mechanisms for evaluating police performance.
Committee members Ajith P. Perera, G.G. Ponnambalam, Mujibur Rahman, M.K.M. Aslam, Sellathamby Thilakanathan, Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, Chandana Suriyaarachchi and Major General (Retired) G.D. Sooriyabandara attended the meeting.
Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs D.W.R.B. Seneviratne, Inspector General of Police Attorney-at-Law Priyantha Weerasuriya and senior officers of the Police Department were also present.