The feelings of the commune police

(Baonghean) - Commune police play a pivotal role in the movement to fight and prevent crime, ensuring security and order at the grassroots level. However, this force still suffers many disadvantages and has many shortcomings in its operations.

» Priest Nguyen Dinh Thuc incites parishioners

Inadequate allowance

Having been a police officer in Hung Khanh commune (Hung Nguyen) for many years, Mr. Nguyen Quang Phuc's allowance is only 0.8% of the basic salary coefficient, which is less than 1 million VND/month. Despite his low salary, when taking on the duties of a police officer, Mr. Phuc has to patrol every night in the area he is responsible for. Especially on holidays and Tet, the frequency of duty is higher and the duty time is longer.

Despite such a heavy duty, Mr. Phuc still does not pay social insurance, health insurance and does not receive any additional allowances. Mr. Phuc said: Actually, working as a police officer is partly due to the trust of the people, partly due to the common responsibility to society, to the general security situation of the hamlet and commune, but if we talk about income, it is not enough.

Police force of Nghi Phu commune (Vinh city) patrols to ensure security and order. Photo: N. H

Lacking, that is the common thought of many commune police when asked about their monthly income. According to Decree No. 92/ND-CP of the Government, specified by the Provincial People's Council in Resolution No. 117/2013, the monthly allowance coefficient for deputy chiefs of commune, ward and town police is 1.1 and for permanent police officers is 0.9. Also according to Decree 73/ND-CP, the implementation of health insurance and social insurance for commune police is paid by the local budget.

However, in addition to the commune police chief who is a civil servant and enjoys health insurance, social insurance and seniority allowance when working continuously for 60 months or more, the deputy commune police chief and police officers are not entitled to the above benefits.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Phan Tuan Anh - Head of the Department of Building the People's Movement to Protect National Security, Provincial Police, if comparing the commune police force and the militia, there is still a big difference in income. In addition to the same salary regime, the positions of Military Commander, Deputy Military Commander at the commune level and Village Team Leader are entitled to additional allowances for responsibility in managing and commanding the unit; special national defense allowances but the commune police force does not have them. In addition, when mobilized to perform the task of ensuring national security and order, the mobile militia force has a regime but the commune police do not.

Also because of the low salary and the complicated nature of the work, it is difficult to attract qualified people to the commune police, especially police officers. Since 2009, many deputy commune police officers and permanent police officers have quit their jobs. Such is the case of Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh in Nghi Hung commune, Nghi Loc district. After 5 years as Deputy Head of the Commune Police, Mr. Quynh suddenly resigned and borrowed money to go abroad to work.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Van - Head of Nghi Hung Commune Police said: Nghi Hung is a key area for security and order. Currently, the commune police department has 1 police chief and 1 deputy commune police chief because only 1 deputy commune police chief has quit his job. Being a deputy commune police chief is a very heavy job, stressful hours but in return, the allowance is too little. Therefore, Mr. Quynh could not stay and had to leave to find another direction to ensure the life for his family.

Nghi Phu Commune Police (Vinh City) check temporary residence registration in the area. Photo: NH

Inadequate force arrangement

As of October 2016, the province had 448 commune and town police departments in 20 districts, cities and towns with 448 commune police chiefs, 803 deputy commune police chiefs, 1,225 permanent police officers and 5,571 police officers in charge of villages, hamlets and hamlets. However, according to the leader of the Department of Building the Movement for the Whole People to Protect National Security, the current arrangement and organization of the commune police force is not suitable to the practical situation.

Specifically, according to Decree 73 of the Government, each commune is assigned 1 deputy chief of commune police. For key communes with complicated security and order issues, type 1 and type 2 communes, no more than 2 deputy chiefs of commune police are assigned; at the headquarters or workplace of the commune police, no more than 3 police officers are assigned on duty. Although the regulations are like that, with more than 355 key communes in security and order issues in the province, only 1-2 police officers are assigned on duty.

According to Decree 73, each hamlet, village, and commune is assigned one police officer. For key areas, type 1 and type 2, no more than two police officers are assigned. However, Decision 14/2014 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province stipulates that each hamlet, village, and commune is assigned only one police officer and must also be the deputy hamlet chief. This regulation has caused many inconveniences.

Because, according to regulations, the term of office of a deputy hamlet police officer is not more than 2.5 years. In reality, many police officers, after being trained, given military uniforms and working effectively, failed to win the election as deputy hamlet police officers and were forced to resign. This greatly affects the work of selecting, training, fostering, coaching and building a stable commune police force.

Le Xuan Toan - Chief of Police of Trung Son Commune (Do Luong) was slashed while mediating a land dispute between local people. Photo: Archive

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Minh Dung - Team Leader of the Movement Building Team and in charge of the commune's security and order (Nghi Loc District Police) said that many police officers, after failing to be elected deputy hamlet chief, did not return their uniforms, which affected the general activities. The district police had to retrain the new deputy hamlet chiefs, and it took a long time for them to get used to the job. When they started to grasp the area and manage the subjects, they might not be elected in the next election.

Although it is a semi-professional force, in recent times, the commune police have truly been a bridge, an extension of the provincial police and district police to the grassroots. Currently, in many rural areas, key areas with complex security and order issues, the activities of many types of criminals are increasingly complicated, with a hooligan nature, even equipped with "hot" weapons and ready to fight back when being handled and arrested. And many commune-level police have been injured and bled while participating in the fight against and prevention of crime.

For example, Mr. Nguyen Van Diep - a permanent police officer of Dien Bich commune (Dien Chau) bravely arrested an HIV-infected subject while he was holding hostages with a knife and scissors, so he had to undergo anti-exposure treatment; Mr. Lo Van Tuan and Ven Van Bien, police officers of Luong Minh commune (Tuong Duong), despite being seriously injured by a knife, still bravely arrested the subject for theft. However, the regimes and policies for this subject are still inadequate.

Despite many difficulties, in recent times, the communal police force has been operating actively and effectively, contributing significantly to the movement to fight and prevent crime and ensure security and order at the grassroots level. In order for this force to become more and more elite, the above difficulties and shortcomings need to be studied and resolved soon.

Nguyen Hung