• Special Police op. mechanism in place 

The Ministry of Public Security stated that all 52 high-crime areas identified across the country are located in the Western and Southern Provinces, and that a special operational mechanism is already in place to address rising criminal activity in these zones.

Speaking in the Parliament recently, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala said that the Police has identified 52 Police areas in the country with the highest crime rates.

When queried by The Daily Morning as to whether the ministry would introduce special security measures in these areas, Wijepala said: “There have been quite a few shootings recently. The Police have identified that many of them happened within these 52 areas. All of them are located in the Western and Southern Provinces. In addition to regular security arrangements, a special operational mechanism is now in place in these areas.”

There has been a noticeable rise in shootings and other violent crimes across the country in recent months. Many parties including the Parliamentary Opposition and civil society organisations have been urging the Government to take necessary action to ensure public safety, warning that frequent shootings pose a serious threat to national security.

Meanwhile, the President and Minister of Defence, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, during two recent meetings, instructed the Police chiefs of the Western and Southern Provinces, to carry out their duties without any influence. He said that the Government would facilitate the process of maintaining law and order in the country by ensuring the required assistance from the political authorities.