Building the image of a police officer who is close to the people, understands the people, respects the people, and serves the people (*)

- Dear Comrade General Le Hong Anh, former member of the Politburo , former Standing member of the Central Party Secretariat;

- Dear comrades, delegates, and all officers and soldiers of the People's Public Security force!

Today, in a sacred, solemn, proud and emotional atmosphere, An Giang Provincial Police solemnly organized a meeting to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnam People's Police (August 19, 1945 - August 19, 2025) and the 20th anniversary of the National Day for National Security Protection (August 19, 2005 - August 19, 2025); on behalf of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, I would like to send my best wishes to General Le Hong Anh, former Politburo member, former Standing member of the Secretariat; leaders, delegates, generations of People's Police officers and soldiers, and all the people of the province!

Dear delegates!

Exactly 80 years ago, on August 19, 1945, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam , the August General Uprising achieved a brilliant victory, opening a new era for the Vietnamese people - an era of independence associated with socialism. During those boiling revolutionary days, from predecessor organizations such as: "Red Self-Defense Team", "Team Working Committee", "Honorable Team to Eliminate Traitors"... the Vietnam People's Public Security force was officially born with the names "Department of Integrity", "Department of Reconnaissance", "National Self-Defense Force" in the 3 regions of North - Central - South.

During the historical process over the past 80 years, the Vietnam People's Public Security force has always deeply kept in mind the teachings of beloved Uncle Ho: "The police are friends of the people, rely on the people to work, serve the people", and at the same time imbued with Lenin's truth: "A revolution is only valuable when it knows how to protect itself". Whether in wartime or peacetime, the public security force still maintains its role as a "steel shield" to protect the Party, protect the revolutionary government, protect the peaceful and happy life of the people.

Closely linked to that glorious historical flow, in An Giang - the southwestern borderland of the Fatherland, the Public Security force was formed very early. Right in the early days of the August Revolution in 1945, in the provinces of Chau Doc, Long Xuyen (belonging to the old An Giang province) and Rach Gia, Ha Tien (belonging to the old Kien Giang province), the organization "National Self-Defense Force" was born - the predecessor of today's An Giang Public Security, standing side by side with the People to rise up to seize power, break the colonial shackles, contribute to building and protecting the young revolutionary government. Since then, the An Giang Public Security force has always demonstrated its steadfast, indomitable role, absolutely loyal to the Party, closely attached to the People, and achieved many glorious feats in the revolutionary stages.

During the two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the American imperialists, the An Giang Police force steadfastly stuck to the land and people, built revolutionary bases, fought against enemy terrorism, destroyed evil, broke shackles, and protected the safety of the revolutionary headquarters and leaders of the province. In particular, in the battle to protect the southwestern border (1978 - 1979), the An Giang Police force fought side by side with the local army and people to fight fiercely, stopping the invading Pol Pot army, together with the indomitable spirit of the officers and soldiers on the front line, typically comrade Truong Thi A, comrade Tran Van Oi... wrote a brilliant history of loyalty and steadfastness on the Fatherland's border.

After the country's reunification, the An Giang Police force has grown steadily, overcoming many difficulties and challenges to maintain political security, order and social safety in the province, with its diverse ethnicities, religions, complex terrain, rich culture and being an important trading hub in the Southwest region. In the former An Giang and Kien Giang provinces, the police force had many special achievements; including the CM12 project, marking the strong growth of the provincial Police force and the People's Security force.

In the early years of the country's renovation, under the leadership of the Party, An Giang Provincial Police successfully dismantled many reactionary, commando, and spy cases, and dismantled counter-revolutionary organizations planted in key areas. In the integration period, the police force proactively renewed its thinking, stepped up the fight against all types of crime, especially organized crime, transnational crime, and high-tech crime; and eliminated hundreds of gangs, criminal groups, and thousands of social evils. Notably, the police force quickly investigated and clarified serious and especially serious cases, causing a stir in public opinion, creating trust, love, and admiration from the people.

With these feats and achievements, An Giang Police was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Medal by the Party and State; 23 collectives and 8 individuals were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces and hundreds of medals of various types, along with other noble titles. These are the recognitions of the Party, State and People for the great merits and contributions of the provincial Police force.

Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of An Giang Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Tien Hai spoke at the ceremony.

Dear comrades and delegates!

The 20th anniversary of the National Day for National Security Protection (August 19, 2005 - August 19, 2025) is an opportunity for us to evaluate good, strategic models that mobilize the combined strength of the entire political system and the entire people in the cause of ensuring security and order, as well as to commend and replicate typical examples in the National Movement for National Security Protection. Through the movement, many good and effective models have emerged, such as: "Security Camera", "Self-Management Group", "Security Loudspeaker", "Peaceful Parish", "Criminal-Free Parish Village" and many other models have become bright spots.

I appreciate the leading and core role of the police force in propaganda, mobilization, and building an increasingly solid people's security posture. At the same time, I would like to thank the companionship, support, and responsibility of Party committees, authorities, socio-political organizations, and especially the people of the whole province in actively participating in building the movement of All People Protecting National Security.

Dear comrades and delegates!

In the context of our country entering a new era - the era of national development, An Giang province must also firmly step on the new progress, the new period - the period of development with many breakthroughs in organizational models, administrative areas and expectations of socio-economic breakthroughs. Therefore, I request the An Giang Provincial Police force to thoroughly grasp the following key tasks:

Firstly, it is necessary to promote the core role, proactively grasp the situation, maintain political security, avoid being passive and surprised, especially in strategic areas such as the border, areas with large ethnic minorities, large religious populations, special economic zones: Phu Quoc, Tho Chau and Kien Hai. This is an important task of the police force, in the context of the country's increasingly deep integration, increasing non-traditional security challenges, grasping the situation, proactively preventing early and from afar are decisive factors in maintaining political stability.

Accordingly, it is necessary to strengthen the deployment of forces to closely follow the grassroots areas, grasp the in-depth situation in each key area; promote and improve professional work, analysis, forecasting and situation handling skills; proactively develop quick response plans, plans to protect political security, religious and ethnic security, and border security in all situations.

Second, continue to promote digital transformation in the People's Public Security. Proactively apply big data, artificial intelligence, biometric technology, surveillance cameras, facial recognition, etc. to population management, security monitoring, crime prevention and combat. This is no longer a trend but an inevitable requirement in building a modern police force, contributing to changing the way of operating, managing, monitoring and preventing crime; at the same time, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of security and order.

The provincial police need to research, advise, and propose to competent authorities to utilize the national population database system and electronic chip-embedded ID cards to manage subjects with high potential risks of security and order complications to attach "soft warnings" but not infringe on personal privacy to manage society closely and accurately.

In addition, it is necessary to ensure absolute data safety and network security; strengthen training and fostering of staff with the capacity to operate technology, especially young police officers with in-depth knowledge of information technology and digital transformation, not depending on external forces. Proactively detect, promptly prevent, and strongly attack and destroy criminals operating in cyberspace.

Third, strengthen the building of a regular, elite, modern police force; focus on training young cadres with political courage, professional capacity, public ethics, and professional style, meeting the requirements of the new situation. In particular, the merger of the administrative boundaries of the two provinces of An Giang and Kien Giang also poses many new issues, requiring the police force not only to stabilize the organization but also to improve its overall quality.

Accordingly, the three core elements that need to be built today are: (1) standardization of organization, scientific and streamlined staffing, ensuring professionalism; (2) elite in expertise, officers and soldiers must be good at their profession, proficient in the law, flexible in handling complex situations; (3) modern in equipment, technology, management thinking, mastering digital technology, monitoring equipment, using AI and digital data for fast and effective processing.

In addition, it is necessary to improve political and ideological education for officers and soldiers, and strictly prevent internal violations. An act of moral deviation or violation of discipline by a police officer will seriously affect the people's trust and damage the political prestige of the entire force.

Fourth, continue to consolidate and improve the quality of the movement of the People to protect the security of the Fatherland; innovate the form of organizing the national festival to be closer to reality, suitable for each locality, ethnicity, and religion so that every citizen is a "soldier" on the security front. The movement of the People to protect the security of the Fatherland is a "battle of the people's hearts" and cannot be replaced by any equipment or technology. This is the solid "security rear" of the police force, the starting point and also the end point of all plans to ensure security and order. It is necessary to determine the core principle of "taking the people as the root", and to let the people clearly see that they are the subject of security protection, not just the object of protection.

Accordingly, the organization of the National Day for National Security Protection needs to be associated with cultural, religious and community activities; it is necessary to diversify and improve the quality of models, such as: "Community security cameras", "Criminal-free residential areas", "3-no residential areas", "Peaceful parishes", "Self-managed routes", "School security"...; strengthen coordination with the Fatherland Front and mass organizations to organize propaganda and mobilize people to participate in protecting national security in forms suitable to the characteristics of each locality.

Fifth, it is necessary to do well in political and ideological work and mass mobilization work; continue to promote the effective implementation of studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style among police officers and soldiers, focusing on promoting the movement of the People's Police to study and well implement Uncle Ho's 6 teachings; build the image of a police officer who is "close to the people, understands the people, respects the people, and serves the people".

In reality, the success or failure of the police force largely depends on the level of trust, love and support from the people. The posture, attitude and style of police officers, especially regular commune police and local police - are the "face" of the State before the people. Therefore, the local police force and regular commune police must be close, exemplary and a companion of the people at the grassroots level. Therefore, each police officer and soldier must be humble, respectful, listen and resolve people's petitions in a spirit of service, openness, openness and democracy; be flexible in dealing with people of different religions and ethnicities - especially in complex areas; must have skillful mass mobilization skills, handle sensitive situations regarding disputes, complaints, beliefs and social order.

Dear comrades and delegates!

80 years - The glory of the People's Public Security is a journey of sweat, blood and immeasurable sacrifices - 20 years of the National Day for National Security Protection is a vivid proof of the steadfastness of the people's hearts, the foundation for building a police force that truly respects the people, is close to the people, understands the people, learns from the people and is responsible to the people.

On this important occasion, I respectfully acknowledge and commend the silent contributions and great achievements of the People's Public Security force in general and the An Giang Provincial Public Security in particular over the years; deeply express my gratitude to the police martyrs who have fallen for the cause of protecting the security of the Fatherland. I respectfully express my sincere thanks to the people of the province who have always been a solid support for the Provincial Public Security force to successfully complete its assigned tasks.

I wish General, former Politburo member, former Standing member of the Secretariat Le Hong Anh; former members of the Party Central Committee, former leaders of central ministries and branches, former provincial leaders of all periods, and all comrades, leaders of the provincial police, former leaders of the provincial police and officers and soldiers of the provincial police always good health, happiness and excellent completion of all tasks in the new period!

Thank you very much!

(*) Title given by the editorial board

WEST LAKE - Recorded by NGUYEN HUNG