Standing member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Tran Cam Tu has signed Conclusion No. 56 on continuing the implementation of Politburo Directive No. 48, issued on October 22, 2010, on strengthening the Party's leadership over crime prevention and control in the new situation.

After reviewing a report submitted by the Central Public Security Party Committee on the implementation of Directive No. 48, the Politburo concluded that crime prevention and control efforts have achieved significant progress over the past 15 years.

However, it also noted that a number of shortcomings and limitations remain unresolved.

The Politburo reaffirmed that crime prevention and control, together with safeguarding security and public order, is a vital, urgent, regular and long-term task. It is the responsibility of Party committees, authorities at all levels, the entire political system and society as a whole. Authorities were instructed to identify crime trends early and improve forecasting of criminal developments, methods and tactics.

Alongside a shift from reactive law enforcement to proactive prevention and risk management, the Politburo called for decisive action against criminal offenses through strict enforcement of the law, with the goal of achieving a sustainable reduction in crime and expanding crime-free communities.

Regarding future tasks, the Politburo ordered an urgent review and revision of policies and laws on crime prevention and control to ensure consistency, coherence, practical relevance and alignment with international law.

It also proposed studying stricter criminal policies and harsher sanctions for environmental crimes, food safety offenses and acts that threaten public health.

The conclusion further states that criminal policy in the economic and technology sectors should be revised to reduce prison sentences while increasing financial penalties, encouraging greater investment in economic development.

The Politburo stressed the need to implement comprehensive preventive measures from an early stage, beginning at the grassroots level, while addressing the root causes and conditions that give rise to crime and legal violations.

In addition to improving the effectiveness of security and public order management in key areas, the Politburo called for reforms to the prison system and inmate rehabilitation programs, along with more effective vocational training, employment opportunities and financial support for former drug users and people who have completed prison sentences to help them reintegrate into society.

Nationwide review of criminal networks and organized crime groups

The conclusion also instructed Party committees and Party organizations to strengthen moral values and healthy lifestyles across society, actively promote humanitarian values and respect for the rule of law, and foster a healthy cultural environment both offline and online.

The Politburo proposed appropriate resource support to strengthen grassroots forces responsible for protecting security and public order, while encouraging the active participation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Veterans Association of the People's Public Security Force, the Veterans Association, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Women's Union, trade unions and other organizations in public awareness campaigns, education, rehabilitation and early intervention for individuals at high risk of breaking the law.

Party committees and authorities at all levels were instructed to closely monitor developments and improve strategic forecasting, particularly regarding crimes and legal violations that may emerge in new areas and sectors of development. The Politburo also ordered a nationwide review of individuals, organizations, criminal networks, gangs and crime hotspots in order to dismantle them at their roots.

The conclusion also assigned a series of tasks, including effectively controlling conditions that may lead to corruption, waste and misconduct, especially in strategic, critical and emerging sectors with elevated risks. Authorities were instructed to promptly receive and process crime reports in accordance with the law, while ensuring professional, modern and impartial investigation, prosecution, trial and enforcement processes that avoid wrongful convictions, prevent offenders from escaping justice and do not hinder investment, production or business activities. Greater emphasis was also placed on recovering assets obtained through criminal activities.

The organizational structure of state management agencies and specialized security and public order forces is to be further streamlined and strengthened to improve effectiveness and align with Vietnam's three-tier system of local government and its new development framework, with priority given to grassroots areas.

Officials are expected to possess strong political integrity, high ethical standards, professional expertise, foreign language skills, information technology proficiency, and scientific and technological knowledge to meet the requirements of crime prevention and control in the new situation.

The Politburo also called for stronger research, development and application of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation to create strategic breakthroughs in crime prevention and control. Priority will be given to building systems capable of monitoring security and public order while providing early warnings of crime trends and emerging risks.

Resources for crime prevention and control should be prioritized for key locations, particularly remote, mountainous, border and grassroots areas.

Tran Thuong