Editing Colombo (section)

== Law enforcement and crime ==
[[File:Supreme Court Colombo.jpg|thumb|The [[Supreme Court of Sri Lanka]] is located in Colombo]]

The [[Sri Lanka Police]], the main law enforcement agency of the island, liaise with the municipal council but is under the control of the [[Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)|Ministry of Defence]] of the central government.<ref>[http://www.defence.lk/main_abt.asp?fname=orgstr Organizational Structure] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827110640/http://www.defence.lk/main_abt.asp?fname=orgstr |date=2007-08-27 }}, ''Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka''</ref> Policing in Colombo and its suburbs falls within the ''Metropolitan Range'' headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Metropolitan), this also includes the Colombo Crime Division.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gunawardena |first=Edward |title=The drama behind the arrest of Sepala Eknayake |url=http://www.island.lk/2008/05/31/satmag1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120003933/http://www.island.lk/2008/05/31/satmag1.html |archive-date=Jan 20, 2011 |website=The Island-Saturday Magazine}}</ref> As with most Sri Lankan cities, the magistrate court handles felony crimes while the district court handles civil cases. <!-- awaiting verification --The Municipal Council deals with parking tickets, traffic infractions and misdemeanours. -->

As in other large cities around the world, Colombo experiences certain levels of [[street crime]] and [[bribery]]. Indeed, the corruption extends to the very top, US reports show. In addition, in the period from the 1980s to 2009, there have been a number of major terrorist attacks.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/reports/convter.htm |title=CNS Reports |website= Center for Nonproliferation Studies  |access-date=2001-10-03 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20011003225523/http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/reports/convter.htm |archive-date=2001-10-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Travel Warning, United States Department of State |url=https://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_3011.html |access-date=November 22, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060922205811/http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_3011.html |archive-date=September 22, 2006 }}</ref> The [[LTTE]] has been linked to most of the bombings and assassinations in the city.<ref>[http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/sentinel/sent000904_6_n.shtml Jane's Sentinel examines the success of the LTTE in resisting the Sri Lankan forces]  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415225914/http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/sentinel/sent000904_6_n.shtml |date=April 15, 2009 }}{{Circular reference|date=February 2016}}</ref> [[Welikada Prison]] is situated in Colombo and it is one of the largest maximum-security prisons in the country.<ref>[http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/2/5627.html President orders SB's release] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022073304/http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/2/5627.html |date=October 22, 2007 }}, ''LankaNewspapers.com'', February 16, 2006</ref>