Even over the past weekend, like every weekend, the police forces in Catania have carried out specific protection and control services in the areas of the historic city centrein implementation of the directives of the Minister of the Interior and as agreed in the Committee for Public Order and Security between the local Prefect and the provincial leaders of the Police Force.
Specifically, targeted services were carried out to guarantee the safety of the numerous tourists and frequenters of the streets and squares of the Catania nightlife area, the serenity of the residents and to protect the customers and owners of the numerous commercial activities.
By order of the Police Commissioner of Catania, the joint surveillance and public order services were planned and were carried out in implementation of the directives of the Minister of the Interior and as agreed in the Committee for Public Order and Security between the Prefect of Catania and the leaders of the Police Force.
The interventions were concentrated in the Piazza Bellini area and in the surrounding areas, ensured by agents of the Catania Police Headquarters, 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 reinforcement units of the Mobile Department, coordinated by a public security officer of the State Police .
Crews from the Carabinieri and the Local Police operated in the area of Piazza Federico di Svevia and in the surrounding areas.
The police carried out, in both areas, careful and meticulous observation activities on people in transit or stationed in the pedestrian areas, to prevent behavior deemed excessive and disruptive, and to implement an effective action to deter phenomena of illegality. An accurate patrol of squares and streets, with forms of dynamic patrolling, allowed for careful and constant control.
In Piazza Bellini, the crews of the State Police and the Guardia di Finanza were also deployed in the surrounding areas to monitor the conduct of customers, as well as combat situations of drug dealing or alcohol abuse among young people. Furthermore, the presence of the Police Force in the entire area has avoided the phenomenon of wild parking and the access of motorcycles into the pedestrian area, to the detriment of the peace of residents and customers, also avoiding risks to the safety of pedestrians. Several motorcycles and vehicles stopped and checked.
Overall, 212 people were identified by the State Police, of which 39 with criminal records, 105 vehicles were subjected to checks and, with the help of the local police, they were reported 2 violations of the Highway Codeand then 1 administrative arrest for driving without a motor vehicle licence, and a car seizure due to lack of administrative coverage.
During the evening, the police personnel on duty received a mobile phone which they had found shortly before from a group of young non-EU citizens. Immediately, the officers managed to track down the owner via the device’s emergency calls and, upon arriving on site, the phone was returned to her.
In the area of the San Cristoforo district, Castello Ursino, piazza Federico di Svevia, via Vittorio Emanuele the action of the Carabinieri soldiers was concentrated, with the use of 2 crews from the Piazza Dante Company and 1 gazelle from the Catania radiomobile unit, implementing an action to prevent and combat widespread crime phenomena, including the sale and spread of drugs among young people and predatory crimes, as well as driving while intoxicated and conduct disrespectful of urban decorum, such as wild parking near historic sites or those with greater aggregation.
Specifically, they were 37 people including nightlife users and road users and 13 vehicles were checked. Furthermore, they were found 2 infringements of the Highway Code against a 20-year-old driving a motorcycle and a 25-year-old driving a Fiat 500X, who were driving without documents.
They were also carried out 5 checks aimed at preventing driving under the influence of alcohol, with the use of a breathalyzer, with negative results, and 7 personal searches were carried out among young people to search for drugs, weapons or objects capable of offending in the area of Piazza Federico di Svevia, with negative results. Thanks to the dynamic preventive activity implemented and the safeguards implemented, no critical issues were recorded in the performance of the nightlife.
