Italo-Facts
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Law Enforcement in Italy
Our Lodge has many Law Enforcement Officers as members and we all see many
different type of police officers when traveling in Italy. Sometimes it is confusing, as
their system is somewhat different than ours. In this edition of Italo-Facts we are going
to describe a bit of information on Italian Law Enforcement.
In Italy you will mainly encounter two types of police: the polizia and the carabinieri .
The polizia is a civil force under the command of the Ministry of the Interior, whereas
the carabinieri falls under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense and is considered to
be a military force; both, however, generally serve the same purpose—to maintain
security and order in the country. In the case of attack or robbery either of these forces
will respond to inquiries for help.
Carabinieri –wear military type uniforms with white shoulder belts. They handle general
crime, drug offences and public order.
Polizia Statale – assaults and thefts should be reported to them. Also known as the
Municipal Police.
Vigili Urbani – direct traffic and issue parking fines in the cities.
Polizia Stradale – take care of crime and traffic offences on the motorways. The
Carabinieri also perform this function as well.
Other police forces include: Corpo Forestale dello Stato (environment police), Corpo di
Polizia Penitenziaria (prison police), Guardia Costiera (coast guard police).
Emergency Phone Numbers:
* 112 for the Carabinieri.
* 113 for general emergencies.
* 115 for the fire service.
* 116 for roadside assistance.
* 118 for an ambulance.
Our Lodge has many Law Enforcement Officers as members and we all see many
different type of police officers when traveling in Italy. Sometimes it is confusing, as
their system is somewhat different than ours. In this edition of Italo-Facts we are going
to describe a bit of information on Italian Law Enforcement.
In Italy you will mainly encounter two types of police: the polizia and the carabinieri .
The polizia is a civil force under the command of the Ministry of the Interior, whereas
the carabinieri falls under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense and is considered to
be a military force; both, however, generally serve the same purpose—to maintain
security and order in the country. In the case of attack or robbery either of these forces
will respond to inquiries for help.
Carabinieri –wear military type uniforms with white shoulder belts. They handle general
crime, drug offences and public order.
Polizia Statale – assaults and thefts should be reported to them. Also known as the
Municipal Police.
Vigili Urbani – direct traffic and issue parking fines in the cities.
Polizia Stradale – take care of crime and traffic offences on the motorways. The
Carabinieri also perform this function as well.
Other police forces include: Corpo Forestale dello Stato (environment police), Corpo di
Polizia Penitenziaria (prison police), Guardia Costiera (coast guard police).
Emergency Phone Numbers:
* 112 for the Carabinieri.
* 113 for general emergencies.
* 115 for the fire service.
* 116 for roadside assistance.
* 118 for an ambulance.