Sri Lanka Civil Security Force

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Department of Civil Security
සිවිල් ආරක්ෂක දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව சிவில் பாதுகாப்பு துறை
Active	1 January 1986 – present
Country	Sri Lanka
Type	Auxiliaries
Role	Civil Defence
Size	33,687
Part of	Ministry of Defence
Garrison/HQ	Colombo
Motto(s)	Protect the Country with Self-Sacrifice
Engagements	Sri Lankan Civil War
Website	csd.lk
Commanders
Director General	Air Vice Marshal Roshan Biyanwila
Notable commanders	Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara

The Department of Civil Security (Sinhala: සිවිල් ආරක්ෂක දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව Sivil ārakshaka depathamentuwā; Tamil: சிவில் பாதுகாப்பு துறை) (also known as the Civil Defence Force) is an auxiliary force administered by the Ministry of Defence.

It traces its roots to the Home Guards which were lightly armed local volunteers organized to protect their villages from attacks by the LTTE. These units were formed into the National Home Guard Service in 1986 under the Mobilization of Supplementary Force Act No. 40 of 1985. These home-guardsmen came under the command of the local police becoming one of two paramilitary units under the Sri Lanka Police. The Home Guard Service was re-structured on under the Gazette notification No. 1462/20 of 13 September 2006 which established the Civil Security Department (CSD). The CSD is headed by a Director General, currently held by Air Vice Marshal Roshan Biyanwila.^[1]

The CDS is not to be confused with the Sri Lanka National Guard, which is a volunteer reserve regiment of the Sri Lanka Army.