Targeted checks and interventions to guarantee the safety of the numerous tourists and frequenters of the streets and squares of the Catania nightlife, the serenity of the residents and to protect the customers and owners of the various commercial activities.
Like every weekend, also in the past weekend the police forces carried out specific patrol and control services in the areas of the historic city center, according to the directives of the Minister of the Interior and as agreed in the Committee for Order and Public Security between the Prefect of Catania and the provincial leaders of the Police Force.
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 area of Piazza Bellini and in the surrounding areas, ensured by the agents of the Catania Police Headquarters, by soldiers of the Guardia di Finanza, 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.
In the evening hours, the State Police patrols were also busy patrolling the streets adjacent to the Etna Comics event, the International Festival of Comics, Games and Pop Culture, which attracted around 60,000 participants and required particular attention for the correct and peaceful conduct of the event.
Over the weekend, the heavy blow against illegal parkers continued, this time 9 were caught by the agents of the General Prevention and Public Rescue Office of the Catania Police Headquarters, as part of an incessant control action on the territory, desired by the Police Commissioner, to combat widespread illegality in the area, starting with the tedious phenomenon of parking attendant activity carried out without any authorization and, therefore, illegally.
The police’s flying motorbikes caught nine criminals red-handed, positioned in various streets and squares in the centre, caught making unmistakable maneuvers and gestures aimed at motorists. From the checks carried out, further violations emerged for four of the sanctioned parkers linked to non-compliance with the Dacur, the ban on access to certain urban areas.
In particular, the motorcyclists of the Police Headquarters administratively sanctioned two illegal parkers, a 46-year-old from Catania and a 40-year-old from Morocco, identified in via Pacini, another 53-year-old from Catania in Piazza Borsellino, two other men, both from Catania, aged 36 and 60 who were surprised in via Lavandaie and in piazza Montessori. A complaint was also made for them for failure to comply with the Dacur, as well as for a 43-year-old from Catania caught in via Dusmet and for a young 23-year-old from Catania found in via Alcide De Gasperi together with two other people from Catania aged 30 and 43, also from Catania, the latter sanctioned only for the illegal activity of parking attendants.
Carabinieri crews operated in the area of Piazza Federico di Svevia and in the surrounding areas.
A careful observation activity on people in transit or stationed in pedestrian areas was carried out to prevent behavior deemed excessive and disruptive, as well as an effective action to deter illegal phenomena.
The dynamic patrolling allowed careful and constant control and accurate patrolling of squares and streets.
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, 89 people were identified by the State Police, 15 of whom had criminal records, 42 vehicles were inspected and, with the help of the Local Police, some violations of the Highway Code were reported.
The action of the Carabinieri soldiers was concentrated in the area of the San Cristoforo district, Castello Ursino, Piazza Federico di Svevia, Via Vittorio Emanuele, with the use of a crew from the Piazza Dante Company and a 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 those behaviors that disrespect urban decorum, such as parking wild near historical sites or those with greater aggregation. Specifically, 39 people including nightlife users and road users and 19 vehicles were checked. Furthermore, 8 complaints were found with a total amount of € 2567.00, of which 3 for lack of insurance coverage, 2 for lack of periodic inspection and 3 prohibition on parking and stopping on pedestrian crossings, against motorists who had parked their cars illegally. cars 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;
There were 5 checks aimed at preventing driving under the influence of alcohol, with the use of breathalyzers – no drivers were found driving while intoxicated;
5 personal searches were carried out aimed at searching for narcotics, weapons or objects capable of offending, in particular aimed at young people enjoying the nightlife in the Piazza Federico di Svevia area, of which 4 had negative results. Furthermore, 2 articles were contested. 75 of Presidential Decree 309/90 against a 22-year-old and a 19-year-old local man, caught smoking a joint containing marijuana in Piazza Federico di Svevia. The subsequent search of one of the two also allowed another 2 grams of the same narcotic substance to be found in his pocket.
Thanks to the dynamic preventive activity implemented and the safeguards implemented, no critical issues were recorded in the performance of the nightlife.
