Regular police force of Nhơn Hưng Commune patrol the area. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Sang

AN GIANG — Since regular police were mobilised to work in communes in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, the area has seen a significant drop in crime.

Nearly 600 police officers from the national public security force started work in 119 communes in An Giang last August as part of the Government’s project “Sending regular police to communes”.

Before that, part-time police officers took on the duty of ensuring public safety and security in the area. However, due to lacking professional skills, they faced a number of difficulties.

“The regular police force has brought a breath of fresh air to the area because they are able to update cases quickly from grassroots and are trusted by people,” said Colonel Đinh Văn Nơi, director of An Giang Province’s Police Department.

An Giang Province was a hot spot of crimes and social evils in the Mekong Delta region. The public officers on duty were always under pressure to handle criminal cases.

With the help of regular police, safety and security in communes has improved.

Nguyễn Phước An, chairman of People's Committee of An Thanh Trung Commune, Chợ Mới District, said since the regular police force were mobilised to work at the commune, there have been no social evils. The commune police force has strengthened its core role, maintaining security and order in the locality.

The part-time police force and self-defence force also support regular police officers in patrolling duties as well as preventing and combating crimes, he said.

Regular police have cracked down on a number of criminal cases, erased many places of social evils, drugs, and smuggling, the tasks that part-time security force found it hard to do.

During the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular police were on duty around the clock and collaborated with soldiers to ensure safety for the Việt Nam-Cambodia border.

Thích Thiện Chiếu, head of Hòa Thạnh Pagoda, Nhơn Hưng Commune, said the regular police force was warmly welcomed by local people.

“We are satisfied that administrative procedures are handled neatly, professionally and quickly by the communal police," he said.

"The police are also very helpful that they support local people with the procedures.”

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Thanh Sang, deputy head of the Tịnh Biên District Police, said the project was a necessary policy and has shown positive results.

However, police in the area still face a number of difficulties while performing the duty due to downgrading infrastructure. The criminals’ detention house is too small to accommodate a large number of offenders.

In the future, the An Giang Police will continue to improve police force’s quality and upgrade infrastructure to facilitate the regular police’s work, he said. — VNS