With their close ties to local residents and in-depth knowledge of their communities, these teams are working alongside commune police to raise awareness, encourage public participation, monitor local developments and promptly detect signs of violations. Their efforts are helping make the commune a safer, drug-free community.

As members of the local community themselves, the village security and public order team in Mường Tùng village regularly engage with residents, listen to their concerns and aspirations, and relay their feedback and recommendations to the relevant authorities. Alongside regular patrols, team members have gathered information related to drug prevention, providing law enforcement agencies with additional grounds to verify reports and address emerging issues in the area.

Khoàng Văn Vũ, a member of the Mường Tùng village Security and Public Order Team, said: “Every week, our team works with commune police to conduct night patrols along village roads. We also check areas where large numbers of people gather and remind residents to stay vigilant. Whenever we notice anything unusual, we promptly report it so the authorities can investigate, verify and handle the matter in accordance with the law.”

Mường Tùng commune currently has 13 village-level security and public order teams with a total of 45 members. Thanks to their familiarity with local conditions, customs and traditions, as well as their close relationships with residents, these teams have become an effective support force for commune police in preventing and combating drug-related crime and legal violations.

The commune currently has 21 people under post-rehabilitation management and 24 suspected drug users or individuals considered at high risk of committing drug-related offenses. To strengthen local monitoring, the village teams, together with the relevant authorities, have stepped up public awareness campaigns and community outreach to prevent drug-related problems before they take root. Particular attention is being paid to encouraging young people and students to stay away from drugs and resist enticement or pressure to use illegal substances. Families are also urged to pay closer attention to their children, supervise their activities and provide appropriate guidance.

As of October 29, village security and public order teams had helped organize 36 awareness-raising sessions across all 13 villages, attracting a total of 4,768 attendances. Through these sessions and direct discussions in residential areas, public awareness and responsibility for drug prevention have gradually improved, helping strengthen the people-based security posture at the grassroots level.

Khoàng Văn Biên, a member of the Mường Tùng village Security and Public Order Team, shared: “As local residents, we are well placed to understand what is happening in our communities and communicate with our neighbors. In addition to raising awareness and reporting suspicious signs, we work with families to encourage and support people undergoing rehabilitation and those who have completed it as they overcome difficulties and rebuild their lives. The understanding and support of the community can motivate them to stay away from drugs and reduce the risk of relapse.”

Beyond detecting and handling violations, drug prevention efforts in Mường Tùng also focus on managing and supporting people who have completed drug rehabilitation as they reintegrate into the community. Team members therefore work with Youth Union members and commune police officers to assist and monitor these individuals, regularly offering encouragement and practical support to help them stabilize their lives and avoid relapse.

To detect unusual signs related to drugs and public security, grassroots teams have also joined commune police in stepping up patrols and area surveillance. Since the beginning of the year, they have taken part in 177 patrols, involving 577 attendances by officers and soldiers and 1,178 attendances by members of the village-level security and public order teams.

Major Lương Việt Cường, Chief of the Mường Tùng commune Police, emphasized that each team member had demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility, continuously sought to improve their knowledge and skills, and carried out assigned duties properly while maintaining a respectful attitude and listening to local residents.

“Serving as a bridge between residents and commune police, team members promptly gather people’s concerns, aspirations and feedback. They also help disseminate the Party’s guidelines, the State’s policies and laws, and official directives on drug prevention and control. These efforts help raise every citizen’s awareness and sense of responsibility in building a drug-free commune,” he said.

By making the most of their close ties with residents and their thorough understanding of local conditions, Mường Tùng’s village-level security and public order teams are helping improve drug prevention and enforcement efforts at the grassroots level. Through regular patrols, close monitoring, public awareness campaigns and support for people recovering from drug addiction as they reintegrate into society, team members are playing an important role in reducing drug-related risks and maintaining security and public order throughout the commune.