'Hiding in bushes to catch speeders': The Ministry of Public Security affirms that disguises are necessary.

Responding to voters' concerns about the image of traffic police officers frequently hiding in bushes to catch speeders, the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security explained that "the combination of overt and covert speed measurement methods stems from the demands of the actual situation"...

This is one of the issues raised in the petition submitted by voters to the 11th session of the 13th National Assembly, which has been forwarded to the Ministry of Public Security for clarification and response.

Specifically, voters in An Giang province expressed their disapproval of traffic police officers frequently hiding in bushes to catch speeding vehicles.

"The performance of official duties must be open and transparent. We propose that relevant authorities strengthen the education of professional ethics and the image of traffic police officers in carrying out their duties, especially in handling and penalizing traffic safety violations," a voter from An Giang province stated.

The Ministry of Public Security's response stated that speeding is one of the direct causes of traffic accidents. It is therefore essential for traffic police to measure the speed of vehicles and promptly detect and penalize speeding drivers in order to reduce traffic accidents.

Justice newspaper photo

However, in reality, many drivers find ways to circumvent public speed checks, such as: driving at high speeds, then slowing down or avoiding traffic police checkpoints when they spot them; drivers who are fined informing other drivers to avoid them, making it difficult for traffic police to enforce the law…

Therefore, the Ministry of Public Security affirmed that "the combination of overt and covert speed measurement methods stems from the demands of the actual situation."

The Ministry of Public Security also stated that it has issued a circular stipulating the duties, powers, forms, and content of road traffic patrols and inspections by traffic police, which stipulates: "Undercover work using professional technical equipment and devices aims to improve the effectiveness of ensuring traffic order and safety."

"Therefore, the combination of overt and covert (undercover) methods used by traffic police to measure speed is necessary, stemming from practical work and in accordance with the law, and not, as some people claim, 'traffic police hiding in bushes to catch speeders'," the document responding to the voters' petition emphasized.

Another issue raised by voters in Quang Tri with the traffic police concerns their right to requisition property, as stipulated in Circular 01/2016 dated January 4, 2016, issued by the Ministry of Public Security. According to this circular, the force is authorized to requisition various types of vehicles; communication equipment; and other technical equipment and devices from agencies, organizations, individuals, and the operators and users of such equipment and devices, in accordance with the law.

Traffic police handle traffic violations (photo: infonet)

Voters in Quang Tri province believe that the above regulation is unclear, easily exploited, and contrary to the provisions of the Law on the Compulsory Purchase and Requisition of Property. Voters request that the Ministry of Public Security review and revise the regulation to make it clearer and more transparent.

In response to this, the Ministry of Public Security cited Articles 23 and 24 of the Law on the Purchase and Requisition of Assets, which stipulate that the Minister of Public Security has the authority to requisition machinery, equipment, means of transport, communication equipment, and other technical means.

The regulations in Circular 01, as suggested by voters, merely reiterate the requisitioning authority of the People's Police force and the regulations on conditions, authority, procedures, etc., for requisitioning vehicles, which are already stipulated in current law.

However, the responding agency also explained that, in response to the suggestion, the Ministry of Public Security will issue a circular guiding the operational procedures of traffic police in the near future, specifying the cases in which vehicles can be requisitioned or mobilized, and that the requisitioning of vehicles will be carried out according to the decision of the competent authority and according to the conditions, procedures, and formalities stipulated in the Law on the People's Police and the Law on the Purchase and Requisition of Assets.

According to Dan Tri