• Initial rollout to include 500 cameras, 70 docking stations
• Govt. seeks quotations for 20 cameras for prison officers
• Cameras to form part of new Police uniform expected by mid-2027
• Activist alleges tender irregularities, calls for fresh procurement
• Police rejects allegations, says bid evaluation is ongoing
• Public welcomes move, seeks tamper-proof footage, independent oversight

The Government is moving ahead with plans to equip Sri Lanka Police officers with body-worn cameras, beginning with an initial batch of 500, with the devices to be incorporated into a new Police uniform expected by mid-2027. 

The tender for the first phase, however, has drawn allegations of irregularities from activists, which the Police has rejected.

From proposal to tender

Plans for body-worn cameras emerged in March 2025, when Police sources outlined a proposal to purchase 5,000 cameras for Traffic Police officers, in order to independently verify public allegations regarding officer conduct during traffic stops. Early projections estimated a per-unit cost of roughly Rs. 150,000, with initial indications pointing towards sourcing the equipment from manufacturers in China.

On 9 September 2025, Police leadership announced that body-worn cameras would soon be rolled out to all traffic officers nationwide, emphasising that recording live interactions would establish an objective record of events, safeguarding both motorists and officers.

The Police Supplies Division subsequently initiated a formal tender process. A committee appointed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), comprising a Senior Deputy Inspector General, an accountant, and 15 gazetted officers, recommended an initial phase of acquiring 500 body-worn cameras and 70 docking stations to meet immediate operational requirements.

Cameras to be part of new uniform

According to the Public Security Ministry, discussions are being held with China on a new Police uniform, with suggestions made to include body cameras as part of it. The ministry said a smaller number of cameras would be introduced initially, with a larger number to be purchased after the success of the initiative was assessed.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said the discussions with China concerned five uniforms.

“There will be five kits, designated as kit number one, kit number two, and so on. These are still at the discussion stage. We are including the body camera as well in the final full uniform kit. We will launch this and see the progress first,” he said.

He said that launching a large-scale project involving a massive investment in a large number of equipment at once would be a risk at this stage.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said that the Government plans to introduce the new uniform by mid-2027 as part of a broader programme to modernise the Police. He said the IGP had been instructed to engage a professional fashion design company to develop a uniform able to accommodate equipment used by modern Police officers, including body cameras, batons, torches, and handcuffs.

“We need to rebuild the Police with a uniform suited to the modern era,” the President said.

The Government has also approved the recruitment of 10,000 new personnel to address staffing shortages, which, according to the President, have resulted in some officers working shifts of between 12 and 18 hours. Minister Wijepala said that Cabinet approval had also been granted for a special risk allowance for Police officers through the 2027 Budget.

Cameras for prison officers

Body cameras are also being introduced to the prison system. Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told Parliament that the Government had called for quotations to purchase 20 body cameras for the protection of prison officers.

The Minister said that a further Rs. 13.7 million had been allocated to purchase 150 riot helmets, 300 batons, and 300 riot shields, with steps under way to call for quotations, as authorities move to strengthen security across the prison system following a recent spate of violent incidents.

Public response

Public response to the initiative has been largely positive, although several members of the public raised concerns over its implementation.

Pradeep Kumara, a YouTuber, said cases of alleged evidence planting had eroded public confidence. “When you hear cases of youths being stopped and narcotics suddenly appearing in their pockets – like what happened in recent investigations – people lose all faith. Body cameras would at least ensure that what happens during a search is captured live, rather than turning it into a he-said-she-said battle at the Magistrate’s Court,” he said.

A schoolteacher said: “We cannot talk about Police accountability without remembering tragedies like Rambukkana or past civil protests where live ammunition was used against citizens. Technology like body-worn cameras is a small step, but it forces a shift from arbitrary authority towards institutional transparency.”

Mohamed Rikas, a small business owner from Dehiwala, said drivers and ordinary citizens had lived with the unspoken fear of abuse of power for decades. “If an officer knows every word and action is being recorded on an unalterable digital log, they will think twice before demanding bribes or crossing legal boundaries,” he said.

Sunil Perera, a three-wheeler driver from Kotte, said being stopped by Traffic Police was always stressful. “If body cameras are genuinely implemented, it will both protect honest drivers from unfair fines and keep officers transparent. Right now, it feels like it is our word against theirs,” he said.

Others were more sceptical. Chathuri Wickramasinghe from Nugegoda said that previous attempts to digitise or install monitoring technology in Government offices had faced deliberate delays or union pushback. “While body cameras sound like a brilliant modernisation step on paper, ensuring they aren’t conveniently ‘malfunctioning’ during critical stops is the real challenge,” she said.

Kavinda Silva, a copywriter at a Colombo advertising agency, described the move as long overdue. “Young people are tired of systemic corruption and the lack of accountability. The software needs to be tamper-proof – like a flight recorder – so footage can’t mysteriously disappear when it matters most,” he said.

A law student said: “True accountability goes beyond just handing gadgets to officers; it requires an independent mechanism to review the footage. Without robust legal backing, body cameras risk becoming just another expensive public procurement project rather than a genuine tool for justice.”

Calls to cancel tender

People’s Struggle Movement activist Wasantha Mudalige alleged that there were serious irregularities in the tender process initiated to purchase 500 body cameras for Police officers, and called for the procurement to be cancelled and restarted.

Mudalige told The Sunday Morning that the decision to equip Police officers with body cameras was necessary, but questioned the manner in which the procurement was being conducted. He said that body cameras should not be limited to officers performing duties outside Police stations, pointing out that security cameras were also needed inside Police stations, amid continuing reports of alleged torture and deaths following assaults in Police custody.

He claimed that the tender document contained several technical shortcomings and alleged that parts of its Terms of Reference (ToR) appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence. He questioned why such content had not been reviewed and corrected before the document was issued, saying the technical specifications should have been carefully prepared based on the requirements of the Sri Lanka Police and international standards.

Mudalige also cited what he described as a significant disparity in the prices quoted by bidders, ranging from around Rs. 50 million to Rs. 360 million for the 500 cameras. 

While a State-owned telecommunications company had reportedly submitted a bid of around Rs. 170 million, he said a subsidiary of the same entity had submitted a bid of approximately Rs. 60 million. He argued that the wide variation raised questions as to whether the technical specifications and required standards had been adequately defined.

He further questioned why only 500 cameras were being procured and whether the project was intended as a pilot scheme ahead of a larger procurement. He also raised concerns over the proposed provision of internet facilities for the cameras and questioned the involvement of a company he alleged was linked to a Government digitalisation adviser, saying this could raise a potential conflict of interest.

Mudalige called for the tender to be cancelled and a fresh procurement process initiated following a thorough review and consultation with technical experts.

Police response

The Sri Lanka Police, on Tuesday (29 September), refuted the allegations of irregularities, stating that the procurement strictly adhered to the Government Procurement Guidelines, the provisions of the National Procurement Commission, and the established legal framework.

The Police maintained that the technical terms had been drafted impartially through a dedicated Bid Evaluation Committee. Noting that the evaluation was still ongoing, the Police said any aggrieved party retained the right to approach oversight bodies such as the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).