The law sustains a peaceful society. The Police service is the manifestation of the law to the public and are also the guardians of the law. Many of us are familiar with Army cadets and their training camp at Rantambe. Yet most are not aware of the Police cadet platoons. The NCC – National Cadet Corps has taken great effort to revive Police cadeting among Sri Lankan students. At present the male cadets are having their annual assessment camp at the Police College, Kalutara.
I met up with the head of the NCC Major. General Ajith Wickremesinghe. The prudent General explains “Police cadets have been active for more than 100 years. Recently we have taken steps to encourage and introduce cadeting in schools. DIG Sanjeewa Dharmarthne has been of great help to us to conduct this training camp. We have both male and female students from the ages of 14- 20 years. As you know we must all live and abide by the law and be productive citizens. This is a perfect foundation for these youth to gain exposure and understand the work of a police officer. We groom them on various aspects of leadership. These students can join the Police as Sub-Inspectors if they wish after completing their advanced level exams. They will also have extra points for university admission if they do police cadeting”.
The Sri Lanka Police College, at Kalutara is a massive area with almost 250 acres of land displaying a mix of rugged and lush green terrain. It is the cradle of law enforcement. As we walked over to the firing range we met the Police officers and army officers engaged in this camp. The Police side is headed by Superintendent of Police Anil Priyantha, Chief Inspector Sumith Gunaratne and Inspector Nilantha, whilst the NCC coordinator is Lt.Colonel Pradeep Jayasooriya. The young boys are learning to fire a .22 calibre gun. This is done to instill confidence. Marksmanship is also a form of adventure to these young boys who were all excited.
I spoke to some of them, mainly from rural schools. This was their first time away from home, and the opportunity to meet new friends. It was obvious that they were having loads of fun. Some were as far away from Matale. 625 cadets will be at this camp for nine days. They begin their day at 4.30 am and by 5.30 am march out to the parade grounds. By 6 am the national flag is hoisted and the national anthem is sung. Breakfast is served from 7 am to 8 am. Each day has a set of lectures where they will be taught life skills such as first aid, and other skills such as map reading, discipline, working in teams, leadership and decision making and basic police duties. This will give them an understanding on how to respect the law and also show them the consequences if they violate the law. By 12.30 they gather for lunch at the mess. Here many of these rural youth are taught to eat with cutlery- something they have to learn. During the day they will clean up their living quarters, referred to as a “billet” in military terminology. Apart from this they will “work” in model police stations (similar to the real Police trainees).The boys enjoy their free time in the evening by visiting two interesting places at the college- the stables where a few horses graze about and the police mascot – the elephant Abeetha. The elephant gets many visits. By 9 pm they assemble for dinner and its lights out by 10.15 pm. It is a beautiful experience for young people to learn new skills and develop themselves as wholesome humans.
Chief Inspector Gunartne explains “We try our best to teach these students about the law and the way a policeman works in real life. In my experience as a police officer I have found that many youth who violate the law have often not been given any exposure to team work and the basics of leadership. The youth who break the law also have no affiliation to any religion or moral values. It is also a reason they take to narcotics addiction. Therefore this progamme is a great platform for these good students to come and learn about the police. We know many of them like to join us later on”. Towards the culmination of their 9 day camp the boys will display their talents through a stage drama. The young cadets will be recognized at a passing our parade where their parents will be present. Police cadets in the past have excelled in the government and corporate sectors. At a day and age when young people are prone to various form of deviant behaviour and addictions that lead to suicide, the avenue of police cadeting is an excellent way to make new friends and learn valuable lessons that will enrich a young life.
