On the afternoon of May 27, the National Assembly discussed the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Delegate Nguyen Thi Le (HCMC Delegation) commented on the addition of duties and powers for investigators arranged as police chiefs or deputy police chiefs at the commune level.
The delegate supported the policy of increasing capacity for grassroots levels and adding tasks and powers to investigators, police chiefs, and deputy police chiefs at the commune level, which is in line with this orientation, ensuring timeliness in handling the case.
To ensure effectiveness and legality, the delegate suggested a thorough review and a specific and strict regulation on the authority of this force to suit the capacity of the commune-level police and ensure substantial effectiveness in crime prevention and control.
According to the delegate, assigning additional authority to the commune-level police must go hand in hand with clearly defining the standards of capacity and minimum legal expertise for investigators.
Not only is it necessary to simply arrange investigators from the provincial level, but there are also specialized training and professional development programs, especially basic investigation skills, gathering and evaluating evidence. At the same time, the power control mechanism must be given special attention.
The Criminal Procedure Code needs to specify the responsibility for direct regular inspection and supervision of the heads of provincial-level investigation agencies and the Chief Prosecutor of competent prosecutors for all prosecution and investigation activities of commune-level police.
There must be a clear professional direction mechanism and regulations on the related responsibilities of superiors to prevent violations.
"Maybe we should consider a roadmap, we should implement it cautiously and can pilot it in some areas, then have conditions before widely applying it," the delegate suggested.
Delegate Nguyen Thanh Sang (Ho Chi Minh City delegation) stated that we are about to turn into a 2 -level government and only provincial and commune levels. The Ministry of Public Security from January 1, 2025 has left the district police and district police force including the heads, deputy heads of investigating agencies, captains, deputy heads of investigating teams and investigators mobilized to the provincial police.
According to the explanatory report of the Ministry of Public Security on April 28, 2025, 6 to 7 investigators will be deployed in communes in the general payroll of the commune-level police. The delegate said that this arrangement is appropriate.
"Because now, if you go from a commune to a province, if you go to remote areas, you have to go all day, and if something happens, it must be resolved quickly, immediately and effectively," said the delegate.
According to delegates, if the commune police previously held the task of protecting the scene, now with the strengthening of investigators, the commune police chaired the name of the investigator and under the control of the People's Procuracy, this Regulation is necessary.
The delegate said that this would be possible, because there are many issues that need to be resolved immediately, statements must be taken immediately and legal measures must be taken immediately.
Because this is a professional force and exercises the authority assigned by the head of the investigation agency, they have the right to prosecute, investigate and take legal action according to the provisions of the current Procedure Code.
