Regulations on the training of police service animals by the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam from January 1, 2025

Regulations on the training of police service animals by the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam from January 1, 2025 (Image from the Internet)

On November 15, 2024, the Minister of Public Security of Vietnam issued Circular 75/2024/TT-BCA guiding the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosive Materials, and Supporting Instruments.

Regulations on the training of police service animals by the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam from January 1, 2025

Article 20 of Circular 75/2024/TT-BCA provides regulations on training of police service animals by the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam from January 1, 2025, as follows:

(1) The training of police service animals is carried out by a functional unit of the Ministry of Public Security, assigned by the Minister of Public Security.

(2) The unit responsible for training police service animals must have specialized staff, facilities, equipment, vehicles, and content, training programs for police service animals, specifically:

- Trainers of police service animals must have certificates of completion in training programs for police service animals in the people's police and be authorized for management and training tasks of police service animals;

- Facilities, equipment, and vehicles used for raising and training police service animals must meet the standards and norms prescribed by the Minister of Public Security;

- The unit training police service animals takes responsibility as the lead in cooperation with related functional units to draft content, training programs for police service animals suitable for each specialized branch's training objectives.

(3) After completing the training for police service animals, the training unit issues a certificate as prescribed.

Regulations on management of police service animals by the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam

- The competent authority responsible for training police service animals must establish a management file to monitor police service animals, including:

- Genealogy;

- Training process records and usage results;

- Medical examination and treatment records;

- Certificate of police service animals;

- Other related documents.

- After the competent authority decides or grants an equipment permit, the department training the police service animals is responsible for handing over the police service animals and their management files to the units, agencies, or organizations equipped or outfitted with police service animals for management, usage as regulated.

- After being equipped or outfitted with police service animals, units, agencies, or organizations must register and declare with the competent authority for a registration notification; during the process of raising, training, and using police service animals, they must supplement related documents to the management and monitoring files.

(Article 21 of Circular 75/2024/TT-BCA)

Cases of using police service animals of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam

Persons using police service animals when performing tasks must comply with the provisions of Clause 1, Article 58 of the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosive Materials, and Supporting Instruments and may use them in the following cases:

- Support patrolling, checking, guarding, protecting objectives; prevent public disorder, demonstrations, riots, terrorism; protect trials, execute sentences, search for human remains, evidence; track human scent trails; detect drugs, explosives;

- Support search and rescue and serve other professional activities;

- Assist in detecting, preventing, pursuing, apprehending, or escorting criminals, detainees, prisoners;

- Participate in ceremonies, military parades.

Persons using police service animals are not liable for damages when using police service animals in accordance with Clause 1, Article 58 of the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosive Materials, and Supporting Instruments; if using police service animals beyond the limits of legitimate defense, causing damage clearly exceeding the requirements of urgent circumstances, exploiting or abusing police service animals to infringe on the life, health of people, property, and legal rights of agencies, organizations, or individuals, they will be handled in accordance with the law.

(Article 22 of Circular 75/2024/TT-BCA)

More details can be found in Circular 75/2024/TT-BCA, effective from January 1, 2025.

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