Even over the past weekend, like every weekend, the police forces carried out specific protection and control services in the areas of the historic city center, in implementation of the directives of the Minister of the Interior and as agreed in the Committee for the Public Order and Security between the Prefect of Catania and the provincial leaders of the Police Force.
The controls
By order of the Police Commissioner of Catania, targeted joint surveillance and public order services have been set up in order to ensure due protection for those who frequent the streets and squares of the “nightlife” area, for the customers of the premises, for the residents and for the owners. of the numerous commercial activities invaded by many visitors especially at the weekend.
The devices were created in the area of Piazza Vincenzo Bellini and surrounding areas by agents of the Catania Police Headquarters, of the Traffic Police Section, by soldiers of the Guardia di Finanza and by patrols of the Local Police, with the operational support of operators of the Scientific Police and of reinforcement units of the 14th Carabinieri Battalion, coordinated by a PS Officer of the State Police, while Carabinieri and Local Police crews operated in Piazza Federico di Svevia and the surrounding areas.
The blitz in the centre
In both areas, the operators carried out careful observation of people in transit or stationed within the pedestrian areas, in order to prevent excessive, disruptive and otherwise illegal behaviour. Furthermore, during the services, a thorough search of the surrounding squares and streets was carried out, alternating with the creation of various checkpoints.
In the area surrounding Piazza Bellini, the crews of the State Police and the Financial Police were deployed in order to avoid access to the pedestrian area from the side streets, especially by motorcycles, but also to monitor the conduct of customers, in order to prevent and combat widespread illegal phenomena, such as drug dealing or alcohol abuse among young people. Furthermore, particular attention was paid to Via San Giuliano, from where you enter Piazza Vincenzo Bellini, where the constant presence of Traffic Police and Local Police personnel prevented the frequent phenomenon of wild parking in double rows, thus favoring regular vehicular transit in the area, and carrying out specific checks on cars in transit. Also in Piazza Bellini, a group of very young children during the usual checks railed, even throwing some small objects, at the police but the staff on duty immediately restored calm and the children subsequently dispersed.
Hundreds of people identified
During these services, 103 people were identified, 13 of which with criminal records, 75 vehicles were checked and 23 infringements of the CDS were reported by the Local Police, two for lack of a protective helmet resulting in administrative detention and 3 were controlled public establishments.
The policemen of the General Prevention and Public Rescue Office, on motorcycle duty, as part of the services aimed at repressing the phenomenon of illegal parking, carried out, in the streets of the city centre, the control of two men, convicted criminals from Catania aged 59 and 32 years old, father and son respectively, caught in the scent of the illegal practice of parking attendants.
Both were administratively sanctioned and the 59-year-old was also reported in a state of freedom for failure to comply with the provisions of the Authority, given that he had been subjected to the DACUR, with which he had been prohibited from frequenting those very streets.
Drugs among young people
In the area of the San Cristoforo district, Castello Ursino, Piazza Federico di Svevia, Via Vittorio Emanuele, the action of the Carabinieri soldiers, with the use of 3 patrols, was mainly aimed at combating drug dealing among young people and of predatory crimes.
Specifically, 39 people and 19 vehicles were checked and 17 infringements of the Highway Code were also reported, imposing fines for a total amount of 970 euros, especially for the ban on stopping and parking on pedestrian crossings, against motorists who had parked illegally. your car in front of the Ursino Castle, thus preventing the phenomenon of “wild parking” in those areas, in favor of urban decorum and the usability of common spaces by citizens and tourists.
Furthermore, 6 checks were carried out aimed at preventing driving under the influence of alcohol, with the use of a breathalyser. As part of the action to combat illegal commercial activity, also to protect the health of citizens who, during their moments of leisure in the nightlife areas, consume food by purchasing it from the various stalls, a street vendor of confectionery products has been fined, together with the local police, for “occupation of public land”, “illegal exercise of trade” and “lack of professional requirements”, with a total amount of 17,000 euros.
Illegal activity
In fact, the shopkeeper, a 57-year-old local man who was totally illegal, as he did not have any type of license authorizing him to carry out that commercial activity, had invaded the road and pavement with his equipment in the Castello Ursino area. Due to the shortcomings detected, all materials and products for food preparation were administratively seized.
Personal searches for drugs were carried out on 7 young people, with negative results.
Thanks to the dynamic preventive activity implemented in the areas of interest and the measures implemented, no critical issues were recorded in the nightlife.
