Over the last 14 years Nguyen Van Minh Tien has fought crime on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, with no uniform.
One arrest
During this time Tien, called the "Street Knight" by his neighbours in Tan Phu District, assisted in over 300 arrests.
Along with the various certificates of merit he has earned, the work has also left him with a number of physical scars, and constant worry over the danger he faces daily.
Tien started his work in 1997. While driving with his pregnant wife, when he heard a scream “thief, thief!”. He saw a young man driving a motorbike at a high speed. Tien immediately chased after him. The young man attacked him with a knife, but Tien succeeded in arresting him.
After the first incident Tien\'s family asked him to stop, but he continued to patrol the streets to protect others.
After one too many injuries, the "knight" decided to sell his motorbike and quit this dangerous work. However his retirement did not last long. He\'d come to think of it as his duty.
One day in mid-2009 Tien fell off his motorbike and suffered from serious injuries, including a broken jaw and four broken teeth while chasing after a criminal.
Afterwards, many thought Tien would quit for good. But just a few days after being released from the hospital, he was back at it, making four arrests in a day.
In 2005 Tien was selected as Ho Chi Minh City’s representative to attend a congress for the National Emulation Congress (a convention for role-models) in Hanoi.
Now he works with a group of citizens. Tien says that they gather every day to discuss their plans, but lack a safe place to meet. They must gather on the street.
Knight life
Despite his obsessive concern for the public, Tien\'s own life is not easy.
Many of his friends and family think it quite unusual for him to take on such dangerous work without payment. They say, he\'s great at catching criminals, but has trouble taking care of his family.
Tien\'s response is just to smile. "I do things I think are right. Anybody who has been the victim of a crime should understand this feeling," he said.
He wanted to be admitted to the police force to put his abilities to work in a more official manner. But strict recruitment regulations made this impossible.
After the neighbouring province of Binh Duong approved the establishment of an "anti-crime club", Tien submitted a proposal to his municipal police to set up a similar club of 17 members to be led by him. But, to date, he has not heard back from the authorities.
Still, Tien pursues the work he loves, roaming the streets of Ho Chi Minh City looking for "bad guys". The only reward he receives, besides the numerous certificates of merit in his small house, is his own satisfaction.
Tien pursues criminals despite his many injuries
Certificates of merit hung in Tien’s small rented house
Maintaining this certificates