Sri Lanka Police College - Kalutara
History
A training school for the Ceylon Police was opened by Mr. Longden IGP on 16.11.1905 with Mr. D.V. Altendorff ASP in charge
This school was situated in an Old Dutch upstairs building in Prince Street Pettah which is now the Pettah Post office. Parades were held on the old Racquet Court, which is now the Charmers Granaries. Lecturers for station house officers under training were IPP Elivathamby and Mack whilst the lecturers for the Recruit Constables were civilians - Messers Jayawardena Dharmaratne and Saravananmuttu. At this time the period of training was not fixed but recruits were passed out from the school when the officers in charge of the school thought they had been sufficiently trained.
The first in take of recruits when this school was opened amounted to 436.
It was whilst Mr. P.N. Banks was in charge that the training school moved to Bambalapitiya. In 1913 Sir Herbert Dowbiggin I.G.P. secured the Bambalapitiya grounds where the Police Depot now stands for the Police Department. Mr P.N. Banks who was the first in charge at Bambalapitiya training school later became the I.G. Police. Mr. S.W.O.de Silva who was also in charge for about 02 years became I.G. Police later.
In 1928 the first batch of Ceylonese Prob. ASPP started their training here. The prefect system and the house system were started at this institution. Houses were named after distinguished Police officers.
For duties in connection with the 1947 General elections the strength of the service had to be increased. Since it was not possible to train this large intake of recruits - 650 men. An additional training school was opened at the Medway barracks Mutwal for training of these men between February and August 1947.
It was whilst Mr. S.G.De. Zoysa was Director of this training school in 1948 that the school moved to its present site at Kalutara. The I.G. Police at this time was Sir Richard Aluvihare.
09 Training stations were opened for training of men and they were given the names of either ancient Sinhalese Kings or distinguished Police officers.
On 1st April 1967, when Mr John Attygalle was the Inspector General of Police, The Police training school was shifted form kalutara to Echen Square Barracks, which were occupied by the Sinha Regiment of the Ceylon Army. The Sinha Regiment moved to the premises vacated by PTS at Kalutara. This shift was made on the orders of S/D&E.A
On 15th December, 1970 when Mr D.S.E.P.R. Senanayake was the Inspector General of Police on orders of Hon. Prime minister Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranayake the Police Training school was brought back to the original premises at Kalutara.
On 01.09.1974 the Police Training school was re named “Sri Lanka Police College”
By 1978 the accommodation at the Sri Lanka Police College was found to be inadequate to train the recruits who were to be enlisted due to the expansion of the Police Service, In order to cater to this need. The teachers training college at Katukurunda was handed over to the Police Department on an order by His Excellency J.R. Jayawardena the President of Sri Lanka on 02.02.1979 The branch was designated the Katukurunda wing and later handed over to STF and the training wing of the STF functions at this location at present. In the year 1990 and later Military training centers at Elpitiya, Nikaweratiya and Vehera were taken over by the Police College and designated as Elpitiya Nikaweratiya and Vehera Wings.
The Administration of the Police Reservists Training schools based at Pahalagama, katana Mahiyanganaya and Kundasale was brought under the purview of the Director. Sri Lanka Police College w.e.f. 15th June 2007 and those were re designated as Pahalagama, Katana, Mahiyanganaya and Kundasale wings respectively.
The faculty of Agriculture of Sabaragamuwa University situated at Boralanda was handed over to the Police Department and another training wing was established there on 15.08.2007 naming as Boralanda Wing. On the same day Vehera wing was closed down and the staff there in was attached to Boralanda wing.
The Training Wing at Kalladi was established on 10.08.2007 for the training of Police Officers being recruited from the North & Eastern Provinces.
Due to the terrorism related war which prevailed in the country over three decades the nation’s sons and daughters from the North & East have been deprived from joining the Police department. As reflection of great leader ship and the vision of his Excellency Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksha under the patronage of Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksha and directions by the present inspector general of Police N.K Illangakoon . 336 recruits comprising 320 males and females have been recently recruited to the Police Department for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Police . They have already been posted to the Police Station in the North & East.
