'Lock' to add authority for commune police to inspect environment and food safety

According to the newly passed Ordinance, the chief of police of communes, wards, special zones, and police stations has the authority to inspect compliance with laws on environment, resources, and food safety.

Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Long presented a report - Photo: GIA HAN

This morning, at the 52nd session, the National Assembly Standing Committee voted to pass the ordinance amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Environmental Police Ordinance.

Rename "Environmental Police" with "Environmental Crime Prevention Police"

According to the Government 's submission, the draft ordinance focuses on amending and supplementing regulations on the subject exercising the authority to conduct activities to inspect the law compliance of agencies, organizations and individuals according to the provisions of law.

Supplementing regulations on checking vehicles, objects, and locations when directly detecting signs of crime or administrative violations or when there are denunciations or reports of crimes or administrative violations.

The draft amends the name of the Environmental Crime Prevention Police force to comply with current legal regulations and adjusts the names of ministries and functional branches to comply with the new organization.

Notably, the draft adds that the chief of police of communes, wards, special zones, and police stations has the authority to inspect compliance with laws on environment, resources, and food safety.

The assignment of the above authority to commune-level police and police stations aims to ensure that the subjects and forces undertake the functions and tasks of preventing and combating crimes and violations of laws on environment, resources, and food safety when there are no longer district-level police.

This delegation of authority also ensures the prevention, combat, and timely handling of violations of the law on environment, resources, and food safety from an early stage, right from the grassroots level.

The current Ordinance stipulates the "organization of the Environmental Police", in the new draft it is renamed "Police force for preventing and combating environmental crimes".

In addition, the draft ordinance changes the name of "Environmental Police" to the phrase "Police for preventing and combating environmental crimes".

The Government said the reason for the name change is that newly issued documents have recognized the new name as Environmental Crime Prevention and Control Police (Law on Environmental Protection, Law on Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations, Law on Organization of Criminal Investigation Agencies...) and is consistent with the actual functions and tasks.

Examining the draft, Chairman of the National Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs Committee Le Tan Toi said that the National Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs Committee agreed with the scope of amendments and supplements to the draft ordinance.

The auditing agency agreed on the name of the force to be "Environmental Crime Prevention and Control Police" to ensure compliance with current legal regulations.

There are some opinions suggesting keeping the name of the force as "Environmental Police" or changing it to "Police for preventing and combating crimes related to natural resources, environment and food safety" or "Environmental Protection Police".

At the same time, it is proposed to name the ordinance "Environmental Police Ordinance (amended)" or "Environmental Crime Prevention and Control Police Ordinance" or "Environmental Protection Police Ordinance".

Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee present to vote to pass the ordinance - Photo: GIA HAN

No matter how many environmental police there are, if people's awareness is not high, it will not be possible to do it.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man said that amending the ordinance is urgent to meet environmental protection requirements in the context of complex and sophisticated violations, seriously affecting people's health, sustainable development and non-traditional security.

He noted the need to synchronize the organizational apparatus with the new model, including transferring authority from the district level to the commune level, so that the environmental police at the grassroots level, which are the commune police, can focus on patrolling in the locality, reducing gaps and increasing the effectiveness of handling small-scale violations in the locality.

"Abolish the district level and keep the provincial and communal levels. If the province goes down to the commune level for too long, then the authority will be transferred to the commune and ward police," he stated clearly.

He shared that the ordinance needs to emphasize increased prevention and the role of the community, "how to prevent, education is the main thing".

He emphasized that no matter how many environmental police there are, prevention and public awareness are not high, it will not be possible.

He suggested that every month and every quarter, environmental police must go down to the locality and base to propagate.

The National Assembly Chairman raised the issue of wastewater treatment in industrial parks and residential areas. "In foreign countries, canals and ditches are very clean and good, but here in Vietnam, looking down at the rivers, canals and ditches, they are dirty and polluted," the National Assembly Chairman once again emphasized the role of the community.

THANH CHUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chot-bo-sung-tham-quyen-cho-cong-an-xa-duoc-kiem-tra-moi-truong-an-toan-thuc-pham-20251203112444891.htm