Identity area
Reference code
LK-NA/83
Title
Department of Ceylon Police
Date(s)
- 1919-1983 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
Files 1-5000, manuscripts, typed and printed
Context area
Name of creator
Ceylon Police Department
(1919-1983)
Administrative history
The police service of Ceylon was established by Ordinance No. 16 of 1865 and established as a legally recognised institution by the British on 3rd September 1866. (The ordinances on the Police Service are No. 7 of 1866, 16 of 1867, 19 of 1871, 23 of 1891, 13 of 1905.) Sessional Papers pertaining to the subject were No. 5 of 1864, No. 15 of 1865, 22 of 1867, 27 of 1878, 4 of 1873, 6 of 1879, 2 of 1881 and No. 5, 41, 1, 6 of 1905.
The Police Training School at Kalutara was opened in 1948. Earlier it was opened at Maradana and shifted to the Pettah, Mt. Lavinia and Bambalapitiya. In 1950 the Police Reserve was established. The CID, Technical Branches, Transport Kennels, Staples, Harbour Patrol and Traffic branches had been formed by this time. The women cadre were taken into the police service in 1953. The Police Families Welfare Association was established in 1971.
The department functioned under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs from 1936-1949, thereafter under the Ministry of Defence and External Affairs and since 1977 under the Ministry or Defence.
The department is now the premier law enforcement agency of Sri Lanka. The department performs the following functions: Enforce all laws, powers of which have been vested with the police; assist other departments with law enforcement functions; engage in activities in preservation or crime and other offences; provide special security to important state officials, state guests and state institutions; provide service to the public in the form or relief work during calamities such as floods, cyclone etc.; and assist in tracing of missing persons.
The Police Training School at Kalutara was opened in 1948. Earlier it was opened at Maradana and shifted to the Pettah, Mt. Lavinia and Bambalapitiya. In 1950 the Police Reserve was established. The CID, Technical Branches, Transport Kennels, Staples, Harbour Patrol and Traffic branches had been formed by this time. The women cadre were taken into the police service in 1953. The Police Families Welfare Association was established in 1971.
The department functioned under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs from 1936-1949, thereafter under the Ministry of Defence and External Affairs and since 1977 under the Ministry or Defence.
The department is now the premier law enforcement agency of Sri Lanka. The department performs the following functions: Enforce all laws, powers of which have been vested with the police; assist other departments with law enforcement functions; engage in activities in preservation or crime and other offences; provide special security to important state officials, state guests and state institutions; provide service to the public in the form or relief work during calamities such as floods, cyclone etc.; and assist in tracing of missing persons.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Diaries: headman's diary
administration: rules and regulation of European (1923-1938), order of parliament, proposed and amend ordinance of drugs and prison (1924-1925)
personnel: appointments, confidential reports (1936-1969), examinations, instructions to office staff (1932-1935), punishments (1935-1955), personnel files (1901-1980), accounts (1921-1933)
revenue and expenditure: office furniture (1935-945), police department fund (1934-1935), rent of Police station (1961-1971)
education: course of training for police (1930-1950), police boys school (1922-1932), training duty (1922)
crime: crime quarterly summary Report (1929-1935), ganja and cocaine Cases (1921-1933), murder cases (1933-1947), opium reports (1927-1928), sale of liquor series cases of crime (1923) special crime report to Government Agent (1955-1962), miscellaneous letters to IGP on riots (1915) riots on (1915- 1916)
traffic and accidents: control of pilgrim traffic (1921-1930), highways traffic, traffic control (1956- 1965), accident to buses (1947-1956), accident in the streets (1935-1956), motor accidents (1923-1936) police security
lands: land acquisition for police station (1930-1946), offer Crown Lands for the police station (1930- 1956), reservation of land for police station (1956-1965)
buildings: addition to police station buildings (1920-1938), improvements to police Station Buildings (1923-1924), new police station buildings (1922-1950), opening of police station buildings, police quarters (1920-1956), temporary buildings for police stations (1947-1950), lightning for police station (1947-1948), water supply
hospital: hospital buildings (1935-1940), hospital charges (1920-1932). hospital treatment for police (1934) ground 1907-1967.
sports: police reports club (1947-1955), police band (1949-1952), recreation and other amenities for police (1930-1935)
prison: police guard in Welikada Prison (1952), release of prisons (1933-1959), varies matters regarding prison (1932-1947)
Licenses: Air Gun Licenses (1935-1945), Driving Licenses Servant's General Register (1936, 1937, 1940, 1941 )
administration: rules and regulation of European (1923-1938), order of parliament, proposed and amend ordinance of drugs and prison (1924-1925)
personnel: appointments, confidential reports (1936-1969), examinations, instructions to office staff (1932-1935), punishments (1935-1955), personnel files (1901-1980), accounts (1921-1933)
revenue and expenditure: office furniture (1935-945), police department fund (1934-1935), rent of Police station (1961-1971)
education: course of training for police (1930-1950), police boys school (1922-1932), training duty (1922)
crime: crime quarterly summary Report (1929-1935), ganja and cocaine Cases (1921-1933), murder cases (1933-1947), opium reports (1927-1928), sale of liquor series cases of crime (1923) special crime report to Government Agent (1955-1962), miscellaneous letters to IGP on riots (1915) riots on (1915- 1916)
traffic and accidents: control of pilgrim traffic (1921-1930), highways traffic, traffic control (1956- 1965), accident to buses (1947-1956), accident in the streets (1935-1956), motor accidents (1923-1936) police security
lands: land acquisition for police station (1930-1946), offer Crown Lands for the police station (1930- 1956), reservation of land for police station (1956-1965)
buildings: addition to police station buildings (1920-1938), improvements to police Station Buildings (1923-1924), new police station buildings (1922-1950), opening of police station buildings, police quarters (1920-1956), temporary buildings for police stations (1947-1950), lightning for police station (1947-1948), water supply
hospital: hospital buildings (1935-1940), hospital charges (1920-1932). hospital treatment for police (1934) ground 1907-1967.
sports: police reports club (1947-1955), police band (1949-1952), recreation and other amenities for police (1930-1935)
prison: police guard in Welikada Prison (1952), release of prisons (1933-1959), varies matters regarding prison (1932-1947)
Licenses: Air Gun Licenses (1935-1945), Driving Licenses Servant's General Register (1936, 1937, 1940, 1941 )
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
- Sinhala
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Ceylon Police Department (Creator)
Description control area
Description identifier
LK-NA/DCP
Institution identifier
LK-NA
Rules and/or conventions used
ISAD(G)
Status
Final
Level of detail
Minimal
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
- Latin
Sources
International Council on Archives Guide to the Sources of Asian History Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka II (Vol 1), National Archives of Sri Lanka, 1996.