Italian police

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Italian public security is provided by five separate police forces: Arma dei Carabinieri (military police), Guardia di Finanza (financial and customs police, also organized as a military force), Polizia di Stato (state police), Polizia Penitenziaria (penitentiary police) and Corpo Forestale dello Stato (forestry police).

In addition to these, some provinces also operate a local form of police called Polizia Provinciale (Provincial Police) and all city councils have their local Polizia Municipale (Municipal Police), although their responsibilities are mostly of traffic control and enforcement of local city or regional law. Region Lombardia has been the first region in Italy to create Polizia Locale.

The divisions of the police overlap so frequently that Italians are often confused about which division they should call if they see a crime, and it is not rare to see the police forces compete against each other.

Police forces are not permitted to enter the Italian Parliament unless out of session and the speaker has given his or her consent.

Contents 1 Arma dei Carabinieri 2 Guardia di Finanza 3 Polizia di Stato 4 Polizia Penitenziaria 5 Corpo Forestale dello Stato 6 Special corps 7 Transportation 8 Other police forces 9 See also 10 External links

[edit] Arma dei Carabinieri

Main article: Carabinieri

The Carabinieri is the common name for the Arma dei Carabinieri, a Gendarmerie-like military corps with police duties. They also serve as the Italian military police.

The Carabinieri recently became a separate armed force (alongside the Army, Navy and Air Force), thus ending their long standing tradition as the First Corps (Arma) of the Italian Army (Esercito). They are referred to as the Arma or La Benemerita (The Meritorious Corps), and are unrivalled in popular affection and national pride, although they are often subjects of jokes about their intelligence, because requirements to be a Carabiniere used to be very low (elementary-school level). Though the requirements are now higher, the stereotype persists.

In recent years Carabinieri units have been dispatched all over the world in peacekeeping missions, including Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2004, twelve Carabinieri were killed in a suicide bomb attack on their base in Nasiriyah, in southern Iraq. This was Italy's largest military loss in a single action since World War II.

Previously, only men were allowed to become part of the Arma (or any military force, by the way), but recent military reforms allow women to serve in the Italian military, including Carabinieri.

[edit] Guardia di Finanza

Main article: Guardia di Finanza

The Guardia di Finanza is a special Italian police force at the service of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. The Guardia di Finanza is a Military Corps and is an integral part of the Italian Armed Forces as well as of the law enforcement agencies. Its duties primarily involve investigating money-related crimes, such as tax evasion, financial crimes, customs and border checks, money laundering, smuggling, international drugs trafficking, Terrorist Financing, illegal immigration, credit cards frauds and money counterfeiting. Their functions overlap somewhat with some of the duties of the following American agencies: the IRS, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Customs. The Guardia di Finanza has a naval fleet for the overseeing of territorial waters, and an air force.

The special departments of the Guardia di Finanza are:

• Gruppo di Investigazione Criminalità Organizzata (GICO): Organized Crime Investigation Group.
• Gruppo Operativo Antidroga (GOA): Counter-narcotics Group.
• Gruppo Anticrimine Tecnologico (GAT): Counter-cybercrime Group.
• Comando Operativo Aeronavale : Air-Naval Operational Command.

[edit] Polizia di Stato

Main article: Polizia di Stato

The Polizia di Stato (State Police) is the National Police of Italy. Among with common patrolling, investigative and law enforcement duties, it is responsible for patrolling the Autostrada (Italy's Express Highway network), and overseeing the security of railways, bridges and waterways.

It is a civilian police force, while the Carabinieri are military or paramilitary. While its internal organization and mindset is somewhat military, its personnel is composed totally of civilians. Its headquarters are located in Rome, and there are Regional and Provincial divisions scattered throughout Italian territory.

In recent years, a new program called Polizia di Quartiere was implemented which aimed at increasing police presence and deterring crime. Pairs of poliziotti (policemen) or carabinieri patrol specific areas of major cities on foot. Its critics contend that these efforts are ineffective, as the areas with the greatest concentration of crime are being neglected.

[edit] Polizia Penitenziaria

The Polizia Penitenziaria (Prison Guards, literally Penitentiary Police) operate the Italian prison system and handle the transportation of inmates.

[edit] Corpo Forestale dello Stato

Similar to Park Rangers, the "Corpo Forestale dello Stato" (National Forestry Corps) controls Italian National Parks and Forests. Their duties also include fighting poachers, safeguarding protected animal species, and preventing forest fires.

[edit] Special corps

Some forces have their own special corps, with more specific duties. The most common are listed below, among with a brief description and with their American counterpart, where possible.

• Carabinieri:
  • Corazzieri: Honor guard located in the Quirinale palace to protect the President. They have almost no other everyday duties, although they may be seen patrolling occasionally.
  • Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (Special Intervention Group): Special operations team employed in counter-terrorism and other high risk missions. Their training is similar to that of British SAS and the German GSG 9.
  • Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Artistico (Artistic Patrimony Protection Group): Their duty is to safeguard the artistic patrimony of Italy and retrieve stolen art works.
  • Nucleo Anti Sofisticazioni (Sanitary Enforcement Group): Their duty is to enforce sanitary laws.
  • Reparti Investigazioni Scientifiche (Scientific Investigative Division). Forensic police, same as the US Crime Scene Investigation.
  • Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale: Often involved with organized crime investigations and other undercover operations. A ROS operative, usually known only by his callsign (Captain Ultimo) commanded the team that arrested the notorious Mafia boss Antonio "Totò" Riina.

• Polizia di Stato:
  • Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza (Central Security Operations Group): It can be compared with the American SWAT.
  • Polizia Postale (Postal Police): Their nearest American counterpart is the U.S. Postal Inspection Service although they also fight cybercrime.
  • Polizia Stradale (Highway Police): Its American counterpart is the Highway Patrol.
  • Polizia Ferroviaria (Train Police): They guard trains and train stations.
• Guardia di Finanza:
  • Gruppo di Investigazione Criminalità Organizzata (Organized Crime Investigation Group): A specialized department of the Guardia di Finanza.
  • Gruppo Operativo Antidroga (Counter-Narcotics Group) of the Guardia di Finanza.
  • Gruppo Anticrimine Tecnologico (Counter-Cybercrime Group) of the Guardia di Finanza.
  • Comando Operativo Aeronavale (ROAN): Air-Naval Operational Command of the Guardia di Finanza.

• Two or more agencies:
  • Reparto Cinofili (Police Dogs Division): Their American counterpart is K9. It is used in Polizia, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, Corpo Forestale dello Stato and Polizia Penitenziaria.

[edit] Transportation

Until recently, all Italian police corps were equipped with Italian-made cars. The most famous of them, the Alfa Romeo Giulia, gave the nicknames of the cars still commonly used today. A patrol car belonging to Polizia is nicknamed "Pantera" (Panther), one used by the "Carabinieri" is nicknamed "Gazzella" (Gazelle) and every other unmarked car is called "Civetta" (Owl).

Every corp has also helicopters, trucks, and campers (used as mobile offices usually in undercover missions). In Venice, which is built across several islands linked by bridges and is surrounded by water, public security and fire brigades work also with boats. In 2004, Lamborghini donated a Lamborghini Gallardo police car - fully equipped with lights and sirens and capable of travelling at almost 310kph - to the state police on the occasion of their 152nd anniversary. This car is used for fast delivery of plasma and organs to transplant.

[edit] Other police forces

According to the Cadogan Guide to Sicily, any area in Italy can be under the jurisdiction of up to 31 different police forces. These include the Polizia Locale (who protect environmentally sensitive areas).

In addition, each community has its own Polizia Municipale (municipal police) who deal with petty crime, anti-social behaviour and so on.

[edit] See also

• Italian Government
• State police

[edit] External links

• (Italian) Arma dei Carabinieri
• (Italian) Guardia di Finanza
• (Italian) Polizia di Stato
• (Italian) Corpo Forestale dello Stato
• (Italian) Polizia Penitenziaria

Law enforcement agencies of Italy
Regular	Carabinieri | Polizia di Stato | Polizia Provinciale | Guardia di Finanza | Polizia Penitenziaria | Corpo Forestale dello Stato
Specialized	Corazzieri | Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza | Gruppo di Intervento Speciale | Gruppo di Investigazione Criminalità Organizzata | Polizia Postale | Polizia Stradale | Polizia Ferroviaria