About us

A Concise History and Background

It is with a certain sense of satisfaction that when we speak of private security we are transported through history to its very origins as we have direct links with the two individuals who pioneered the movement that culminated in giving what was then a watchers service garbed in sarong and banian and armed perchance with a stick-a corporate stature and statutory status to the present private security-attired in uniforms akin to those of the Police Service and armed services yet with distinct and discernible apparent differences, permitting anyone to discern the difference while they with self respect and dignity attend to their respective duties.

But how many know its origin, its transition and progression over the years to its present stature and who were responsible for this great progression – actually metamorphosis? It is here that we hold a unique position in the annals of private security. The two individuals referred to at the outset were Messrs Newton SeneratDassanayake and FuardUduman and from their school days they had close links with the relevant Police Stations in vigilance and other areas and harboured the hope of ending up in the higher echelons of The Police Service. But instead they faced a challenge that would have dejected and defeated others but they turned it to victory by starting a service akin to the Police Service-in the field of private security. It was at that time a low profile watchers’ service clad in banian and sarong and not receiving much or any respect and looking after various private homes and institutions and business premises and correspondingly the two of them had to use their feet and push cycles to meet the demands of the service but they podded on undaunted. Finally they founded the first security service in Sri Lanka on the first of May 1956. Port Cargo was one of their early assignments. It was their foresight, perspicacity, ability and tenacity that guided private security from what it was to what it now is. Even certain support institutions were Mr.Dassanayake’s brain children like the Industrial Security Foundation of Sri Lanka which is now incorporated as an act of Parliament whose first President was Deputy Inspector General of Police Mr.EdwardGunawardena and the second President was a retired Police Officer Mr.Nihal de Alwis. In the Defense Ministry a special section was opened in the name of civil security which was responsible to monitor the activities of private security services where they went to the extent of designing a new uniform for private security personnel as they wanted a civil atmosphere.He will be remembered and will continue to be remembered as one of the founding fathers of the Private Security Industry in Sri Lanka, now familiar to every one in Sri Lanka. In fact we still have on our board a gentlemen who was and is a witness to the emergency of private security in Sri Lanka who was on the team with Messrs.Dassanayake and Uduman and this is a unique advantage we have of his experiences and guidance-and his experienceshopefully would find print in what would undoubtedly be a fascinating adventure in private security.

M.I.S.S.Sri Lanka was incorporated in the year 1975 and had the good fortune of Mr.Dassanayake being appointed as its Managing Director on the first of September 1977 with the invaluable assistance of Mr.Samat and other senior officers.

From then onwards it soared to great heights boasting in the nineteen nineties” over 4500 security personnel and such was the training they received, that suffice it to state that we lost a fair proportion of them to the regular armed forces that we had to discreetly ensure that we were left with a sufficient remnant to build up again. And since we insist on standards quality and competence at the professional level, replacements have to be made accordingly. We had several commendations e.g.after the attack on the Central Bank and Amro Bank by the LTTE and our officers have been rewarded on several occasions for their outstanding services during emergencies and exigencies and continue to do so-and that by the clients themselves. We intend to move forward with this legacy we have inherited.