The Vietnamese government is embarking on comprehensive restructuring efforts within its police departments to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This initiative aims to streamline operations by reducing the number of administrative layers within the police force, eliminating district-level police and reshaping local law enforcement.
On February 28, provincial police across the country gathered to announce new directives from the Minister of Public Security, marking the implementation of this significant organizational change. The police department of Lào Cai province exemplified this transition by conducting thorough evaluations of its workforce and aims to delegate responsibilities. After restructuring, Lào Cai Police eliminated nine district-level police units and reduced 67 unit heads, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and reducing redundancy.
Hải Dương province's police department announced its revamped organizational setup, which comprises 26 departmental units and 207 local police units. The recent restructuring effectively dissolved operations of 12 local police units at district levels and incorporated four additional functions from various state departments, including Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Justice, Transportation, and Information and Communication. This reorganization added 544 police officers to local forces, ensuring adequate manpower to address public security effectively.
Ninh Thuận province has also actively followed guidance from the Central Police Party Committee and the Ministry of Public Security. The local police force there has reorganized its structure, eliminating six departmental units and 18 operational teams, and reducing three community police units. This has allowed for the implementation of standard police units across 47 communes and has led to the reduction of 116 administrative positions.
Starting March 1, 2025, the Ministry of Public Security will enforce the restructured organizational model, flattening the police hierarchy from three tiers to two: provincial police and communal police. This new structure aims to fulfill complex security needs more efficiently and aligns the responsibilities effectively between different police levels. Interestingly, the Ministry reassured citizens and police personnel alike—while responsibilities may shift, functional capabilities and personnel numbers have not been reduced.
During the press conference, Trung tướng Lê Hồng Nam, the Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Police, emphasized the importance of adapting to this organizational restructuring. "The decision to eliminate the district police isn't about cutting down responsibilities, rather it’s about improving the chain of command for our operational effectiveness. The tasks handled previously by district police will now be managed by regional and local police units seamlessly," he stated.
He highlighted the successful reassignment of police duties to prevent disruptions, stating, "Each unit must recognize and adapt to new responsibilities, ensuring our operations remain uninterrupted. We must strive to maintain public security and manage all necessary paperwork and operations with minimal gaps or down time."
This restructuring effort is not peculiar to just the police force but reveals broader government trends as authorities gear up to modernize and reinforce public administrations. The overarching aim is for enhanced workflow management, resulting from identified bureaucratic inefficiencies within the governmental structure.
Meanwhile, as part of the restructuring initiative, the Trà Vinh province has introduced support measures for surplus local administration personnel affected by unit consolidations. Those affected are eligible for severance benefits upon their exit from service, contingent on their years of work and contributions.
The regulations stipulate payment for redundant civil servants including local officers who are laid off to make way for the improved setup. The supportive measures aim to comfort those diverging from public service as the restructuring takes hold.
New policies stipulate additional financial aids—using past salary rates—as severance to soften the impact of these changes and encourage affected workers to transition smoothly out of government roles. This is part of collaborative efforts to ease the reorganization process and improve the morale of existing personnel, emphasizing the idea of aligning public service standards with the demands of modern governance.
On March 1, 2025, as the structural changes go live, police departments nationwide will officially operate under their new models, streamlining law enforcement capabilities statewide. This landmark transformation symbolizes the government’s commitment to improve service delivery across departments and reflects their resolve to embrace change, adopting innovative approaches to public safety and security management.
Overall, Vietnam’s government agency restructuring initiatives are poised to redefine the operations of law enforcement agencies, aiming for heightened accountability, efficiency, and responsiveness to contemporary security needs.