In the People's Republic of China, the national criminal police is affiliated to the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China, provincial (autonomous region) public security bureaus (municipality public security bureaus), prefecture (autonomous prefecture) public security bureaus (regional public security offices), and county ( The fourth-level public security organs are county-level cities and banners) public security bureaus (municipal district public security bureaus). The Ministry of Public Security has a criminal investigation bureau, the provincial public security department (bureau) has a criminal investigation (police) corps, the prefectural and municipal public security bureaus (divisions) have a criminal investigation (police) detachment, and the county public security bureau (branch) has a criminal investigation (police) brigade. In addition, there is a first-level dispatching agency, namely the Criminal Investigation Brigade, which allocates several areas of responsibility to criminal investigation teams. The criminal investigation teams in the areas of responsibility are the lowest-level practical units of the public security organs.
Criminal investigation is an important part of public security work, and the criminal investigation department is a specialized department for combating criminal crimes. The Criminal Procedure Law stipulates that criminal investigation occupies a primary position in criminal litigation activities and is an independent litigation stage parallel to prosecution and trial. The main evidence for prosecuting criminal suspects in criminal proceedings comes from investigation. The power of investigation, prosecution, and trial are exercised by the three organs of public security, procuratorate, and court respectively within the scope prescribed by law. The three organs cannot overstep their bounds or replace each other.
Relevant laws stipulate that criminal investigators are responsible for ascertaining the type and nature of the case, deciding when to enter the criminal prosecution stage, collecting evidence and materials, capturing or controlling criminal suspects, recovering stolen money and stolen goods, and ensuring innocence. Responsible for protecting persons from criminal prosecution, ensuring the safety of witnesses and victims, deciding whether to transfer cases to the procuratorate, and preventing crimes. Specifically, the right to file a case, the right to investigate and inquire, the right to apply for criminal identification, the right to criminal identification, the right to implement criminal compulsory measures, the right to interrogate criminal suspects, the right to on-site inspection and inspection, the right to search, the right to seize items, the right to perform search, and the right to organize identification , technical investigation power, decision-making power on case transfer, right to recommend the cessation of investigation activities, the right to recommend the withdrawal of cases, the right to legally use firearms, weapons, the right to conduct investigative experiments and other investigative powers.
The higher-level criminal investigation department is responsible for leading, guiding and coordinating the business work of the lower-level criminal investigation department. The Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security is in charge of 114 types of criminal cases that endanger public security, infringe upon citizens’ personal rights, and infringe upon citizens’ property rights. Its main responsibilities are to grasp the dynamics of criminal crimes, collect, report, and exchange criminal crime information, and research and formulate prevention and crackdown measures. Countermeasures against criminal crimes; organize, guide and supervise the investigation and handling of cases by local public security organs in combating criminal crimes; undertake cases assigned by superiors; formulate criminal technology and criminal investigation informatization work. Planning for the development of criminal technology and criminal investigation informatization, organizing the promotion and application of criminal technology and criminal investigation informatization, and providing technical and information support for the detection of major and difficult criminal cases.