![Auto polizia provinciale](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Auto_polizia_provinciale.JPG)
In
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, the ''polizia provinciale'' (Italian for 'provincial police') are the
provincial-level police forces.
Functions
Each
Italian province
The provinces of Italy ( it, province d'Italia) are the second-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, on an intermediate level between a municipality () and a region (). Since 2015, provinces have been classified as "institutio ...
can, by statute, have its own police force. ''Polizia provinciale'' are small police organisations whose main duties are to enforce regional and national hunting and fishing laws, but they have also expanded into environmental protection.
They provide traffic police service and participate in the security services arranged by the authorities.
The forces' vehicles are usually white, with a green or blue stripe along the side. ''Polizia provinciale'' must be distinguished from ''questura'', the office of the head of the state's police (''
polizia di stato
The ''Polizia di Stato'' (State Police or P.S.) is one of the national police forces of Italy.
Alongside the Carabinieri, it is the main police force for providing police duties, primarily to cities and large towns, and with its child agencies ...
'') in a province, called ''questore'' (
quaestor
A ( , , ; "investigator") was a public official in Ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times.
In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officials who ...
).
The ''polizia provinciale'' operate in various areas:
*the fight against environmental crimes,
*the phenomenon of poaching, and against the various crimes relating to eco-mafias and zoo-mafias,
*criminal exploitation of the environment and animals,
*regulation of road traffic on the provincial territory or in the relevant metropolitan city.
In many provincial districts, the ''polizia provinciale'' perform road police service using dedicated equipment (alcohol tests, drug tests, mobile weighing scales, telelaser, speed cameras etc.), contributing to road traffic safety, both with prevention and repression of offences to the highway code. Furthermore, the surveillance of the roads and, through the survey, of accidents. The responsibilities of the traffic police service are extended to all types of roads.
More simply, they carry out the following police functions (in addition to the
local police
Municipal police, city police, or local police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government. This includes the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive funding ...
and the national police forces):
Judicial Police
Pursuant to art. 5 of the law of 7 March 1986, n. 65 and art. 57 co. 2 ° b) and 3 ° cpp, the ''polizia provinciale'' exercise functions and tasks of judicial police, aimed at the repression of all criminal offences within the province.
Administrative Police
The administrative police functions are carried out for all those activities to which authorization is issued.
For example, in the field of:
*derivations of public waters,
*transport,
*driving schools,
*car practice agencies,
*nautical schools,
*industrial waste water discharges,
*municipal and company purifiers,
*accesses on provincial roads,
*supervision of tourist-hotel and tourism
*structures and quarrying activities,
*concessions under the competence of the province and the region (if delegated) etc.
Public Safety
The ''polizia provinciale'' can exercise 'auxiliary public security functions'. The services are carried out in aid of the various police forces (e.g.
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...
,
Polizia di Stato
The ''Polizia di Stato'' (State Police or P.S.) is one of the national police forces of Italy.
Alongside the Carabinieri, it is the main police force for providing police duties, primarily to cities and large towns, and with its child agencies ...
,
Guardia di Finanza
The ''Guardia di Finanza'' (G. di F. or GdF) () (English: literal: ''Guard of Finance'', paraphrased: ''Financial Police'' or ''Financial Guard'') is an Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. ...
) and consist of patrols, control points and assistance to the people of the province.
Traffic Police
![Polizia provinciale di Cosenza](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Polizia_provinciale_di_Cosenza.jpeg)
Pursuant to art. 11 and 12 of the highway code, the ''polizia provinciale'' carry out traffic police services through:
a) the prevention and verification of violations relating to road traffic;
b) the detection of road accidents;
c) the preparation and execution of services aimed at regulating traffic;
d) the escort for traffic safety;
e) the protection and control of the use of the road.
The ''polizia provinciale'', as a traffic police body, also contribute to car and road rescue operations in general.
Environmental Police
The ''polizia provinciale'' carry out police activities for the protection of the environment in general (in compliance with the various environmental regulations and above all with the provisions of the legislative decree 3 April 2006, n. 152 and subsequent amendments and additions), with particular regard to the prevention, assessment and repression of soil, water and air pollution.
In particular:
a) mycological police for the supervision of the legislation governing the collection, cultivation, sale and marketing of mushrooms (epigean and underground);
b) forestry police aimed at the protection, protection and control of the hydrogeological constraint and the forest heritage (in some territorial areas also by regional delegation);
c) state police, for the protection of public property, in particular the river, lake and lagoon area;
d) hydraulic police for the supervision of the hydraulic system and the protection of public waters in general;
e) mining police, regarding the supervision of the cultivation of quarries and mines.
f) building police activities are also carried out, aimed at the prevention and repression of abuses in this area.
Hunting and Fishing Police
According to the law 11 February 1992, n. 157 and the various regional laws, the ''polizia provinciale'' play a leading role in the supervision of hunting, the prevention and repression of poaching, and on the protection of wildlife.
Wildlife Police
Provincial police personnel are the main agency with regards to the control of activities of wildlife populations.
Provincial police officers are also often employed in operations of capture or killing, by order or request of the authorities, of problematic or dangerous animals, in most cases escaped from captivity, and for the recovery of animals in difficulty in difficult conditions. The provincial police are also active in the recovery of injured or distressed wildlife.
Animal Welfare Police
The ''polizia provinciale'' carry out activities aimed at the prevention, detection and repression of crimes against animals and livestock. As well as the monitoring of the welfare of animals during road transport, as well as against animal abuse.
Lake and River Police
![Imbarcazione della Polizia provinciale di Verona sul Lago di Garda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Imbarcazione_della_Polizia_provinciale_di_Verona_sul_Lago_di_Garda.jpg)
Due to the geographic configuration of some territories, various ''polizia provinciale'' forces have special units and marine vehicles.
They are entrusted with important activities of environmental/fish/hunting protection and safeguarding, surveillance of the provincial property and surveillance of the coasts.
In addition, they provide rescue to boats and swimmers in difficulty, prevent and repress violations in nautical matters, collaboration with other police forces that perform the same service.
This service is carried out in the lakes, rivers and lagoons of many internal areas of the country, and in some cases, even the sea coasts.
Founding
The bodies (or services) were established and regulated pursuant to art. 12 of the law 7 March 1986, n. 65, in which the first paragraph provides that local authorities - in addition to municipalities - can perform the functions of local police:
''"Local authorities other than municipalities carry out the functions of local police they own, also by means of special services; the provisions of the articles of this
..law apply to these, replacing the municipality and its bodies with the local authority and the corresponding bodies."''
Alongside this general provision, various state and regional laws have specific functions to be carried out by the ''polizia provinciale''.
Generally, it has general jurisdiction over the entire territory of the province to which it belongs and, in particular, over those matters which, pursuant to Legislative Decree no. 112, were delegated by the state to the provincial body.
It can contribute, with an auxiliary function, to public order and security services. According to the law n. 65/1986, the body is constituted with a specific resolution, and must be made up of more than seven units (when the service is made up of less than seven units).
Operations
![Piaggio MP3 - Polizia provinciale di Verona](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Piaggio_MP3_-_Polizia_provinciale_di_Verona.jpg)
An operations centre is active at the provincial level in almost all the commands, which coordinates the management of operational activities and the personnel employed, while receiving reports. The body is equipped with various vehicles, from off-road vehicles and 4x4 cars to faster cars, mainly used in traffic police services. In many districts, different types of boats, quad-bikes, bicycles, mopeds, road motorcycles are operational.
Agents of the ''polizia provinciale''
![Polizia provinciale di Venezia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Polizia_provinciale_di_Venezia.jpg)
The selection of personnel takes place through a public competition launched by the body to which they belong, published in the official gazette of the Italian Republic.
Powers and authority
The members of the body hold the status of public official, pursuant to art. 357 of the Italian Criminal Code and art. 2700 of the Italian Civil Code.
They also hold the following qualifications and powers:
Agent or officer of the judicial police: they are agents or officers of the judicial police within the territory of the body to which they belong and during working hours, pursuant to art. 5 of the law of 7 March 1986, n. 65 and art. 57 co. 2 ° b) and co. 3 ° cpp Pursuant to art. 29 of Law 157/1992, the agents of the provincial police (agents employed by the local authority in charge of the matter), can draw up the documents, provided by the framework legislation on hunting, even outside the working hours.
Public security agent: agents who have a permanent qualification, (agents, coordination and control officers, top management) are conferred the quality of public security agent (pursuant to article 5, first paragraph, letter c) of law no. 65) when they possess the requisites required by law, at the individual request of the president of the administration to the prefect.
Personnel in possession of the status of public security officer can therefore permanently carry their service weapon, assigned to the territory of the body to which they belong - without a license and also outside working hours - in accordance with the provisions and the respective regulations. Provincial Police bodies (or services) can perform auxiliary public security functions.
Traffic police service: with permanent qualification, the provincial police units also carry out traffic police services in the territory of the body to which they belong, as provided for by articles 11 and 12 of the highway code referred to in legislative decree 30 April 1992, n. 285.
Numbers
![YA 062AD (17047741980)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/YA_062AD_%2817047741980%29.jpg)
According to the data of the Ministry of the Interior as at 31 December 2011,
[From the data of the Ministry of the Interior, Department for Internal and Territorial Affairs - Central Directorate for the territorial offices of the government and for local autonomies. General census of staff employed by local authorities, data updated as at 31 December 2011] the staff in service amounted in total to 2,769, with the following classification:
*39 agents in the role of manager;
*525 agents of personnel classified in category D;
*2,205 agents of personnel classified in category C.
See also
*
Italian police
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
*
State police
State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
(police force of sub national entities)
*
Law enforcement in Canada
Law enforcement in Canada is the responsibility of police services, special constabularies, and civil law enforcement agencies, which are operated by every level of government, some private and Crown corporations, and First Nations. In contra ...
(including province-wide police forces for
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
and
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
)
References
External links
*
Padua ''Polizia provinciale'' homepage*
Bologna ''Polizia provinciale'' homepage
{{Law enforcement in Italy
Law enforcement agencies of Italy