| Sri Lanka Civil Security Force | |
|---|---|
| Active | January 1, 2007 - Present |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Type | Militia |
| Role | Civil Defence |
| Size | 35,000 |
| Part of | Ministry of Defence |
| Motto | Protect the Nation with self Sacrifice |
| Engagements | Sri Lankan Civil War |
The Sri Lanka Civil Security Force, officially the Department of Civil Security is a paramilitary force which is tasked as an auxiliary to the Sri Lanka Police.
The activities relating to the Home Guard Service established under the Mobilization of Supplementary Force Act No. 40 of 1985. The local home guards come under the command of the local police. They are all volunteers deployed in the their home towns and villages, to protect the civilian population from attacks by the LTTE. The with the establishment of Department of Civil Security, the Home Guards were re-designated as the Civil Security Force and came under the purview of the Ministry of Defence.
The Home Guard is not the Sri Lanka National Guard, which is a volunteer reserve regiment of the Sri Lanka Army.
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The functions to be performed by Home Guards are listed below:
Following the start of Sri Lankan civil war many villages were attacked by LTTE terrorists which resulted in the deaths of many civilians. Due to these attacks the villagers began to organize themselves to protect themselves. The original Home Guards were local volunteers, who were initially armed with shotguns by the government to protect themselves.
In 1986 the Home Guard Service was created by the then Minister of National Security the late Hon. Lalith Athulathmudali with a strength of about 5000 personnel. They were issued uniforms and weapons (mostly Shotguns) and were under the command of the local Sri Lankan Police units. In 1988 female guardswomen were joined to the force. Since 1993 they have been issued with automatic rifles. In April 2006 the Home Guard was renamed as the Civil Security Force followed by the establishment of the Department of Civil Security on 1 January 2007. Since its consumption its members have been deployed outside their home villages to maintain public security even in Colombo.
Over 35,000 serve in all districts and provinces. Mostly deployed in villages effected from attacks by the LTTE, in the Northern and the Eastern provinces. They are also deployed in major cities and towns to assist the police maintain public security.
Training is provided in two stages. Basic training is provided by the Sri Lankan Army at various army training centers. Duration is usually 2–4 weeks. Additional training is carried out from time to time in the areas where units are deployed by mobile training units.
The Civil Security Force is trained to use and are equipped with weapons such as the Type 56 assault rifles, L1A1 Self-Loading Rifles, .303 Lee Enfield rifles and Shotguns.