History
It was in 1956 that two school leavers, Fuard Udman and Newton Dassanayaka, started the Pettah Watchmen services with two guards clad in khaki coats and armed with torches, batons and whistles to cover second Cross Street, on the 15th of May 1956. This was the birth of private security in Sri Lanka.
Since then Private Security has expanded steadily and is today making a significant contribution to the national economy. It is benefiting indeed that the Industrial security Foundation of Sri Lanka has stepped into provide the leadership to commemorate this landmark of 50 years of Private Security in Sri Lanka.
In the eighties with the introduction of the open economy the demand for Private Security saw the phenomenal increase. The emergence of new industries and commercial ventures together with the expansion of the existing ones, and the realization by investors and entrepreneurs that security was an indispensable input, led to the rise of security organization island wide
The demand for security by virtually all organizations of the private sector as well as the state sector including schools, hospitals and vital utilities received a further boost with the frightening security threats disrupting normal life. The law enforcement agencies of the state had their hands full of private security assumed a new dimension necessitating new training programs and technology to identify and take counter measures against acts of terrorism.
Today, the personnel security departments in the state and private organization together with the personnel of private security agencies comprise a formidable percentage of the national workforce. Over 70,000 are employed by 250 registered security providing agencies, and it is presumed that the large number of unregistered agencies employ as many persons.
It was in the simmering background of the eighties that a few dedicated security professional from the established private security agencies of the Police and the Armed services discussed the urgent need to make commercial and industrial security a professionalized service that could be an asset to the industry and of assistance to the Police. Out of these deliberations in 1992 as born the Industrial security Foundation of sri Lanka.
The ISF Sri Lanka incorporated by an Act No. 51 of 1999 is the only statutory body dedicated to the improvement of the competence and efficiency of private security.
This is the furtherance of its numerous achievements ranging from seminars with reputed international resources personnel, highly professional training programs and providing opportunities for the exposure of security technology, sports and social interaction. With welfare at heart even the Tsunami affected security personnel were not forgotten.
Being a non-profit organization with limited income generating activities the commemorative events planned by the foundation will not be extravagant, but wholly meaningful to those engaged in security with immeasurable direct and indirect benefits to the national economy and the national security.
