President Tô Lâm meets grassroots security and order protection soldiers at the launch ceremony of the grassroots Security and Order Protection Force held in HCM City today. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The building of the grassroots-level security protection force is a true extension of the People's Police, serving the people, protecting their legitimate rights and interests and ensuring a peaceful and happy life for the people.

So said President Tô Lâm at the launch ceremony of the grassroots-level Security and Order Protection Force held in HCM City today (July 1).

The grassroots Security and Order Protection Force is formed by consolidating three existing forces: the semi-professional commune police, the civil defence force and the neighbourhood watch force.

The force has developed over various revolutionary periods and acts as an extended arm of the People’s Police at the grassroots level, participating in the protection of security, order, social safety, combating crime and other legal violations related to security and order at the grassroots level.

It is a core force in the movement to build and protect the country, ensuring social order and safety, significantly contributing to the economic, cultural and social development at the grassroots level.

At the launch ceremony, around a thousand members representing the grassroots security and order protection force in HCM City participated in a parade and live demonstrations on handling complex security and order situations and coordinating the grassroots security and order protection force.

President Tô Lâm emphasised that the Law on Forces Participating in the Protection of Security and Order at the Grassroots Level, effective from 1 July 2024, has met the practical and objective requirements in the work of ensuring grassroots security and order.

It has promptly institutionalised the Party's guiding principles at the 13th National Party Congress, which state: "Pay attention to building forces to ensure grassroots order and safety, meeting the demands of maintaining security and order at the grassroots level," creating a complete and corresponding legal basis for managing and using the force to assist commune-level police in promptly addressing issues related to security and order right at the grassroots.

The President noted that, with the active and prompt efforts of the Government, the Ministry of Public Security and other central ministries and agencies, local Party committees and authorities, as well as the support and consensus of the people, the concrete implementation of the law and preparation for the force have been completed in a short time.

Among the centrally managed cities and provinces, HCM City has one of the largest grassroots security and order protection forces in the country, with 4,861 security and order protection teams and over 15,000 members.

Tô Lâm warmly praised the achievements, efforts and positivity of the HCM City Party Committee, authorities, police forces, and other departments and organisations in implementing the law and preparing well for the establishment of the grassroots security and order protection force.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, the Law on Forces Participating in the Protection of Security and Order at the Grassroots Level, passed by the 15th National Assembly at its 6th session on November 28, 2023, provides an important, comprehensive legal foundation for building, consolidating and maintaining the grassroots security and order protection force.

It helps to streamline, arrange and consolidate the force with improved functions, tasks, authority and working relationships of each grassroots organisation, timely meeting the demands and tasks of ensuring security and order in the new situation.

According to the law, the grassroots security and order protection force is formed by local authorities based on the voluntary participation of citizens to assist commune, ward and town police (commune-level police) in helping the same-level People’s Committee protect security and order, and building a nationwide movement to protect the country’s security.

The force operates under the comprehensive leadership of the local Party committee, management of the commune-level People’s Committee, and guidance, assignment, and inspection by the commune-level police.

In the context of rapidly changing and complex global and regional situations, with increasingly fierce, sophisticated and activities of hostile forces, reactionaries and various types of crimes, it contributes to a stronger close relationship between the Party, the State and the people. It creates a strong people's security foundation at each grassroots level, maximising the potential and strengths of this force in public mobilisation, understanding the people's situation and promptly addressing complex issues from early stages, preventing small conflicts from escalating into larger issues or criminal activities, thereby strengthening the people's security movement in HCM City.

The President also suggested that local Party committees and authorities should unify their understanding and accurately determine the position and importance of the grassroots security and order protection force to comprehensively and fully implement and pay attention to the recruitment, training and capacity building of this force in politics, law and professional skills.

Furthermore, ensuring material facilities, equipment, and policies for the grassroots security and order protection force according to regulations and in line with the city's development conditions is crucial. There should also be mechanisms to encourage, motivate and attract active young members to become involved.

Moreover, according to the President, it is necessary to continue building a revolutionary, clean, strong, regular, elite and modern People's Police force, especially the model commune-level police force, closely linked with consolidating the grassroots security and order protection force. — VNS