Sri Lanka, March 24 -- The history of policing in Sri Lanka dates back to the 17th century when the Dutch introduced paid guards in 1659, the first official policemen. After the British took control in 1796, the military briefly maintained order for few years, when the role of 'Fiscal' was reinstated. A clearly defined police service emerged in the 1910s.

In 1866, G.W.R. Campbell was appointed by Governor Frederick North as Chief Superintendent of Police, overseeing the Police Force in Ceylon. This date, September 3, 1866, is considered the beginning of the Sri Lanka Police Service. The post was upgraded to Inspector-General of Police in 1867. However, by the 1870s, the service began to decline. In 1870, an attack on the Police Headquart...