The role, functions, missions and structure of the People’s Public Security Forces are regulated in the Law on People’s Public Security Forces (revised) passed on December 20th, 2018 by the 14th National Assembly in the 6th working session. The Law on People’s Public Security Forces (revised) takes into effect on July 1st, 2019, but the regulations on the rank of general takes effect on January 11th, 2019.
I. Role of the People’s Public Security Forces
The People’s Public Security Forces are part of the People’s Armed Forces, plays a core role in protecting national security and ensuring social order and safety as well as fighting crime and law violation related to national security and social order and safety.
II. Functions of the People’s Public Security Forces
The People’s Public Security Forces are responsible for:
- Advising the Party and State on matters relating to national security, social order, control of crime and law violation;
- State management of national security, social order and safety, and control of crime and law violation;
- Fighting plots and activities of hostile forces, crimes and violations against national security, social order and safety.
III. Missions and authority of the People’s Public Security Forces
1. To collect information, analyze and evaluate the situation and predict its developments, and recommend the Party and the State to issue appropriate policies, laws and strategies on the protection of national security and maintenance of social order and safety, the fight against crime and law violation as well as to direct the implementation of these documents; participate in fully evaluating impacts of socio-economic plans and projects on matters relating to national security and social order and safety, and suggest coupling strategies on protection of national security and social order with strategies and policies on socio-economic development, national defense and foreign affairs in a safe and efficient manner.
2. To actively prevent, detect and defeat any plots and acts of violation against national security and eliminate any threats to national security; protect the Fatherland’s independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; protect the Party, State, people and socialist regime; protect political security, security in the fields of ideology, culture, economics, national defense, foreign affairs, information, society, environment, science and technology; protect the great national unity bloc; protect life, health, dignity, property, rights of freedom and democracy of citizens and legitimate interests of agencies, organizations and individuals.
3. To conduct intelligence operation under the laws.
4. To protect high-ranking officials of the Party and State, visiting international delegates; protect important events and targets significant in terms of politics, economics, international relations, science, technology, culture, society; protect critical infrastructures related to national security, international representative agencies and organizations in Vietnam; protect persons who keep or involved in State secrets; protect shipments of special goods in line with legal provisions.
5. To manage activities of national security protection and State secrets protection; take the lead in managing the entry, exit, transit and residence of Vietnamese citizens; coordinate with the People’s Army, related branches and local authorities in managing and protecting national borders, border gates, islands, seas and airspaces; perform tasks of protecting national security; and ensure social order and safety in border areas in line with the Vietnamese laws, international treaties and deals to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member.
6. To be responsible for management and protection of network security, and prevention and fight against cybercrime in line with the laws.
7. To be responsible for management of criminal investigation and suppression; assume the prime responsibility for the tasks of preventing and fighting terrorism, riots, and handling complicated situations related to national security and social order and safety; actively prevent, detect, and fight against crimes and acts of violation of the laws on social order and safety, environmental protection, natural resources and food safety; receive and handle denunciations and reports on crimes; investigate and prosecute crimes in line with the laws; work on criminal statistics; discover causes and conditions for crimes and violations of laws on public order, security and environmental protection, and propose solutions; educate law offenders in the community in line with the laws.
8. To hold responsibility for management of criminal judgment execution, temporary custody and detention as well as for management of prisons, detention camps, custody houses, compulsory educational centers, correctional schools; to execute criminal judgments and decisions and judicial measures; to supervise and educate under-18-year-old subjects exempted from criminal liability, and early-released prisoners; to be responsible for interpretation, escort, management of material evidence stock, protection of the trial; and perform other judicial support tasks in line with the laws.
9. To hold responsibility for management of penalties for administrative violations of national security, social order and safety; to impose fines or other administrative measures for administrative offences in line with the laws; to maintain security and order during conducting the enforcement of decisions at the requested of the competent agencies.
10. To hold responsibility for residence management, national database on population and citizen identification database, stamps, traffic safety, public order, weapons and explosives, precursors of explosives, police support tools, fire prevention, fighting and rescue; grant and manage citizenship cards and other personal papers; grant and manage number plates of road vehicles; to be in charge of overseeing fire prevention and fire safety, and conducting firefighting and rescue; to manage conditional business lines for investment under the laws.
11. To assume the prime responsibility for managing and implementing information and education on national security protection, social order and safety, fight against crimes and law violations; to inspect and handle complaints and denunciations, to handle wrongdoings in protecting national security, ensuring public order and safety, preventing and fighting crimes and offences of national security, public order and social safety.
12. To play the core role in building the people's security, the people's security posture, and the movement of “All people protecting national security”; to instruct agencies and organizations to protect internal political security, economic security, ideological-cultural security, network security, information and communication security, environmental security.
13. To provide professional guidance and training on knowledge of the laws for mass organizations participating in ensuring public order and security at the grassroots level as well as for civil defense force, and other legal civil security forces under the laws.
14. To conduct mass mobilization and take legal, diplomatic, economic, scientific and techonological means as well as professional measures and the use of force to protect national security, social order and safety, and fight crimes and other offences of the laws on national security, social order and safety.
15. To use weapons, explosives, support tools and other legal means to attack and chase criminals, to stop people from committing crimes and other offences of the laws, and to exercise the right of self-defense under the laws.
16. To decide or suggest suspending activities of agencies, organizations and individuals with acts undermining or threatening national security, social order and safety; request agencies, organizations and individuals to provide information, documents and objects related to activities of infringing upon national security, social order and safety. To mobilize and requisition means of communications, transport and other platforms, as well as people using the means in urgent circumstances to protect national security and social order, safety or to prevent possible consequences and damages to society.
17. To protect national security, social order and safety in a state of war, an emergency situation or when national security, social order and safety are at high stake but not to the extent of a state of emergency.
18. To manage and develop the security industry; to research, apply and mobilize scientific and technological advances for the protection of national security, maintenance of social order and safety, fight against crimes and law violations, and building of the People's Public Security Forces.
19. To build elite, modern public security forces, to play the core role in protecting national security and ensuring social order, preventing and combating crimes and offences against national security, public order and safety.
20. To implement international commitments and obligations; to expand international cooperation in prevention and fight against crimes and law violations, as well as for the building of the People's Public Security Forces; to implement criminal and justice assistance. The Ministry of Public Security is the central agency of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in charge of extradition and transfer of sentenced persons.
21. To perform other tasks in line with the laws.
IV. Organizational structure of the People's Public Security Forces
1. Hierarchical organization of the People's Police Security Forces includes:
a) Ministry of Public Security;
b) Provincial Police Departments;
c) Police Stations of district, provincial capitals.
d) Police Posts of communes, wards and townlets.
2. The Government has decided to post full-time police officers to commune-level police posts.
3. To meet the requirements of national security protection, maintenance of social order and safety, the Minister of Public Security is authorized to establish police stations/posts and independent units in certain areas.