Perspectives+on+Italian+policing

= //La Polizia Italiana// - The Italian Police =



The Structure
In Italy there are two types of law enforcement officers: i //polizziotti// (police officers) and //i carabinieri// (carabineer). //I Polizziotti// are part of the //Polizia di Stato//, the State Police, which takes care of public order in various sectors that involve everyday life. They depend on the Department of Public Safety (//il Dipartimento di pubblica sicurezza//). They have multiple jobs ranging from street patrol, border patrol, forensics, order maintenance, law enforcement, and military services. There are different types of State Police: //Stradale, Frotiera, Ferroviaria, a Cavallo, Penitenziaria//, and of Communications. Unlike the //Carabinieri//, women are allowed to become a //polizziotto//, and they are more likely to be seen in larger urban centers, like cities. //I Carabinieri//, on the other hand, are an armed force which started in 1814. They depend on the Ministry of Defense of the Italian Republic. They perform services of civil security, public order, and activities of military nature. The position is only open to men. //I Carabinieri// are present in both large urban centers and in small towns.

The Uniform
//I Polizziotti// and //i Carabinieri// wear different uniforms:

//Capo della Polizia// - Chief of Police
Alessandro Pansa was born in 1951, and currently has two children. He studied law at the University of Law in Naples. When he entered the police force he worked in Calabria (Southern Italy) against organized crime and terrorism. He went on to work in Rome still against organized crime, nationally and internationally, and against trafficking of illegal drugs. He also specialized in economic criminality. When he became director of the //Polizia di Stato//, he focused on transnational crime, and led successful investigations on Mafia organizations. He received a promotion in 2000, and worked on the Italian borders and was the central director of immigration. He was nominated Chief of Police in 2013.

//La Questura// - Police Headquarters & i Commissariati
//Questura// is a territorial office of the State Police, and there is one located in each chief town. At the head of each //questura// there is a //questore//, the superintendent. He is in charge of public security, which means he has leadership, responsibility, and coordination over how the service is being conducted in the area. He is in charge of the Carabinieri, the Financial Police, the Forest Rangers, and the Prison Police.

In larger communities and neighborhoods of a city there are the //Commissariati//, which are dependent on the headquarters. They take care of the needs of the citizens and they respond more efficiently to crime committed in the larger urban area. Their internal structure generally resembles that of the //q////uestura//.

==**//Volanti // & 113 **==



//I volanti// are in charge of responding to general public emergencies and they serve as a preventive control of the territory through 24 hour patrols. They are recognized by their cars which are called “//pantere//” (Italian for panthers).

The number 113 in Italy is their emergency number, just like 911 is for the US. The process works just like in the US: when the citizen calls the number they will talk first to an operator, who will then inform the appropriate volante in the area about the location and details of the situation.

**//Polizia Stradale// - The Road Police **
They are in charge of controlling and regulating the mobility on the road. They perform the following tasks:
 * prevent accidents
 * reveal road accidents
 * assess road violations
 * provide escort services
 * provide information on the rules of the road
 * provide rescue services

**//Polizia di Frontiera// - The Border Police **


They have the task of patrolling seaports and airports where there is additional need of oversight than just controlling the people who cross in an out of the border. Here we are talking about the transportation of goods.

The Immigration Police plays an important role in this sector.



This is the tunnel of the Monte Bianco, which is the tallest mountain in the Alps and all central Europe. It connects Courmayeur-Mont-Blanc in Italy, and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in France, and the tunnel cuts through the entire mountain. It took eight years to build (1957-1965) and it is 7.2 miles long.

**//Polizia Ferroviaria//** **- Train Police**
The //polizia ferroviaria// was created in 1907 to prevent crimes occurring on trains and at train stations. There are 2,500 train stations in Italy today, and every day 8,000 trains move from station to station carrying 1,500,000 passengers. Their tasks are to prevent crimes from occurring, assess violations, assist those with emergencies (for example, helping minors who are lost), and protect those who travel day and night aboard trains. In the past few years crimes have decreased, especially robberies and thefts.

**//Polizia a Cavallo// - Horse Police **


The Horse Police holds a long historic tradition, leading us all the way back to Giuseppe Garibaldi (military figure who helped unite the states of Italy during the Risorgimento). When Italy created the police force, the officers' means of travel was by horse.

**//Il Reparto Prevenzione Crimine// - Department of Crime Prevention **
This department is concerned with the more serious and complex crimes, including property crimes, drug related crimes, burglaries, and illegal trafficking of goods. It was created more recently, in the 90s. The officers continuously patrol national territories. == Hawkers are not allowed to sell goods on days of "public market". One day every week Italian towns will have a "//mercato// //cittadino//" where citizens sell goods (clothing, vegetables and fruit, fried food, fresh fish, antiques, jewelry, paintings, etc.). On those days, hawkers are not allowed to sell their goods in that town. The Department of Crime Prevention will also intervene when this type of crime is being committed. ==



**//Gli Investigatori// - The Investigators **
In Italy, all police officers are considered investigators, however there are so many aspects and situations to investigate that the Polizia di Stato has created groups of officers in charge of various, specific cases:
 * __//Squadre mobili//__: these officers are the most known investigators in the Italian police force. They are allowed to have initiative on some investigations, and will also take on investigations requested by the questura. Unlike other officers, they don't wear a uniform, but rather they wear civilian clothing.
 * //__Antidroga__//: these investigators deal with cases of illegal trafficking of narcotics.
 * //__Digos__//: this department deals with general investigations and special operations, and it investigates sensitive cases of antiterrorism and organized crime, kidnapping and extortion.
 * __//Sezioni di Polizia Giudiziaria presso Tribunali//__: these officers are located in the courts. They work closely with magistrates (people with a title of public office, like judges).
 * //__Squadre di Polizia Giudiziaria__//: these officers work in the Commissariati. Like the officers of the previous group, they investigate on judicial cases.
 * //__Polizia Scientifica__//: these officers intervene wherever there is need of particular skills in the fields of biological, chemical, physical sciences, fingerprints, and others. This group of investigators has been around since 1902.



**//Polizia su Internet// - Police on the Internet **


These officers are part of the Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni (Postal and Communications Police). They have the task of preventing computer/internet related crimes.

//**Reparto per Interventi ad Alto Rischio**// - **Division for High Risk Interventions**
Some situations require specific skills, especially in cases where there is high risk of injury. The Italians assign these special cases to the Special Divisions (Reparti Speciali). There are three units within this Division for High Risk Interventions:
 * N.O.C.S.
 * Artificieri
 * Tiratori Scielti (selected shooters)

N.O.C.S.
N.O.C.S stands for Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza (Central Operating Core of Security). This groups takes on tasks like: freeing hostages, irrupting in any kind of environment for the capture of criminals and terrorists, protecting high Italian institutional personalities (including protecting people of high importance from another country visiting Italy). They are given special equipment, and they travel by land, air, and water, and are ready to act 24/7.

=//**Artificieri**//=



This groups is divided in two subunits: Artificieri Anti-Sabotage (artificieri antisabotaggio) and Artificieri I.E.D.D. (Improvised Explosive Device Disposal). Both subunits perform the same tasks, and one officer from each subunit work together when called to make reclamation or inspections, manifestations, ordnance for war, and destroy general explosive materials.

//** Tiratori Scielti **//
Shooters are officers perfectly trained to use long firearms. They prevalently perform tasks of protection, at a distance, of important personalities and of special objects. It is important to remember that the ownership and use of any type of firearm is illegal in Italy.

**//Gli Specialisti// - The Specialists **
Finally, the Italian State Police also has officers specialized to work in unique environments and with unique factors:
 * __//Cinofili//:__ these officers require specific training involving canines. The goal is for them to become a "team".
 * __//Sommozzarori//__: these officers are trained to immerse in wells and underwater caves, and in any environment that is hard to get to and is underwater.
 * //__Squadre Nautiche__//: they have control over marine territorial waters and waters inland (lakes, rivers, etc). They patrol the coasts in the attempt to prevent crimes from occurring, in particular illegal immigration. They also perform rescue missions for those who are in need of help when in the water.
 * __//Polizia della Montagna//__ (Mountain Police): their primary goal is to protect those who go skiing, snowboarding, or whoever is a lover of the mountain. A large territorial area of the Alps (the tallest chain of mountains in Europe) is located in Italy, and there are 50 skiing centers. They enforce the rules of the ski tracks, intervene when there has been an accident, natural disasters, or in any general case that needs rescuing.
 * //__Reparto Volo__//: this is the flight division, and these officers perform everyday rescue missions, monitoring of the territory and airways, and recovery at sea or in the mountains.
 * __ //Ispettorato Vaticano// __ : these officers are located in the Vatican City, in Rome. Their goals are to protect the Supreme Pontiff (the Pope) and supervise the sacred palaces of the City. This specialized unit was created in 1945 as the Special Office of Saint Peter, and was later changed to General Inspectorate of Saint Peter at the Vatican.

**<span style="color: #961d25; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Training **
If one wants to enter the Italian State Police, they begin training in high school. There are 8 general admission schools, 6 schools for specific training, one school for training to become an inspector and superintendent (that school is located in the town of Nettuno, right outside Rome), and two schools for training for executive roles. To be accepted to these schools one must complete the Concorso Pubblico per la Polizia di Stato (Public Competition for the State Police). This competition includes exams and a set of criteria that has to be met in order to be accepted. This Criteria includes:
 * Italian Citizenship
 * Has political rights (must be older than 18)
 * Must be younger than 30
 * Has cultural knowledge, physical fitness, psychologically stable, and has an acceptable attitude toward the service of the police
 * Must have completed middle school
 * Must not have been expelled from the Armed Forces or any military organizes corps
 * Must not have any criminal offenses

The exam tests the individual's academic knowledge learned in middle school (subjects include Italian, english, math, geography, history), their knowledge of a foreign language other than english chosen by the individual, and basic knowledge of computer science.

<span style="color: #0d7a18; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">External Links

 * http://www.poliziadistato.it
 * http://www.carabinieri.it
 * https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/memberpage/italy-183