ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the structural dimensions that shape the field of policing in Vietnam. Drawing on ethnographic observations, the Constitution, legislation, policies and codes of ethics, it describes features of Vietnamese policing that depart from assumptions in the dominant literature from the Global North, for example, the explicit links between police and the political system. This chapter details the historical and cultural context of the emergence of the public police through the national fight for independence from foreign powers. It describes the structure of the People’s Police Force, rank hierarchy and recruitment processes and the connection between police education and academia. This chapter concludes by highlighting how these structural dimensions intersect to create a unique policing field in Vietnam.
