A new card has been added to the complex mosaic of integrated security in the provincial territory.
In fact, the “Protocol for the prevention of crime in monopoly shops”, signed this morning, in the Italy Room of the Government Palace, by the Prefect of Potenza Michele Campanaro and by the President of the Italian Tobacconists Federation of Potenza Paolo Spera.
Present at the event were the provincial leaders of the Police Force and representatives of the Italian Tobacconists Federation.
By transposing the guidelines of the Framework Protocol between the Ministry of the Interior and the Italian Tobacconists Federation signed, in its latest version, on 11 April 2024, the new agreement document comes at the outcome of an in-depth analysis process regarding the qualitative and quantitative evolution of the predatory phenomena against tobacconists in the area, started at the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Security and continued at the tables of the Technical Coordination Meetings with the Police Forces.
In fact, Prefect Campanaro explained:
“To face the new challenges, we shared in the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Safety the need to guarantee greater protection to operators in the sector, through an upgrade of safety standards.
The examination of data relating to thefts against monopoly retailers has provided a less than reassuring picture: from the single episode recorded in 2021, we have, in fact, moved on to 3 in 2022, to reach 21 in 2023 and 18 in just the first five months of 2024.
A growing trend that has a strong impact on the perception of vulnerability and insecurity not only of the operators in the sector but, in turn, also of all other citizens.
All the more reason to put new tools are in the field with the aim of stemming the phenomenon and giving an adequate system response to the territory, supporting the daily and precious work of the police forces”.
The project lines of the Agreement therefore aim to consolidate the collaboration between the Prefecture of Potenza and the Italian Tobacconists Federation – which represents the great majority of the members in the area, with 346 members out of 465 outlets – to promote shared strategies aimed at strengthening the levels of protection of monopoly retailers, particularly exposed to predatory and extortion phenomena.
In particular, the Pact Document provides for several containment and deterrence measures, among which:
- the increase, by retailers of monopoly goods, of video surveillance and anti-robbery security tools, capable of transmitting images in real time to the operations rooms of the Police Force according to the operating methods indicated in the Technical Specifications attached to the Protocol;
- the exchange of information on phenomena linked to crime, in order to study shared actions and projects on the topic of security and the prevention and repression of criminal phenomena;
- the promotion of initiatives and courses aimed at encouraging the diffusion of the culture of legality and the ethics of responsibility among retailers of monopoly goods.
Prefect Campanaro has also formalized the establishment of a Control room – chaired by the Deputy Vice-Prefect of the Prefecture of Potenza and composed of qualified representatives of the Police Force and the provincial President of the Italian Tobacconists Federation – which will ensure monitoring of the progress of the Protocol, on a six-monthly basis: on 30 June and 31 December of each year of validity of the document, valid for a three-year period.
A first application of the collaboration established today between the Prefecture and the Italian Tobacconists Federation is the Vademecum for tobacconists, presented immediately after signing and distributed at all retailers in the province, with the aim of providing useful information and advice to traders to prevent dangerous situations and reduce the risk deriving from the intimidating and violent action of criminals.
In particular, the Vademecum, among the first developed on the national territory, is divided into three sections:
1. “DECALOGUE OF PREVENTION”
- 1. Maintain constant collaborative relationships with the police,
- 2. Maintain good relationships with the neighborhood and other adjacent businesses,
- 3. In the tobacco shop, pay attention to anomalous behavior,
- 4. The evening and less crowded hours are the most critical,
- 5. Protect the tobacco shop with security tools: video surveillance, anti-intrusion systems, etc.,
- 6. Make sure you have good locks and fittings on the accesses to the tobacconist,
- 7. Even shop windows and interior furnishings can be security tools,
- 8. Be careful with cash,
- 9. If you transport your own tobacco…,
- 10. Insurance protection
2. “AND IF I EXPERIENCE A THEFT OR ROBBERY, WHAT SHOULD I DO?”
- 3. Call 112 – single European emergency number,
3. “BEWARE OF SCAMS!”
- 1. Caution when faced with phone calls from so-called technicians,
- 2. Also be wary of fake technicians who personally go to the tobacconist asking for your personal codes to carry out operations on the terminals,
- 3. On the internet, on your email, beware of phishing attacks (electronic scams).
“The patient and widespread work to raise awareness among citizens and economic operators on the centrality of integrated and participatory security is bearing the expected fruits.
After the protocols with ABI and with Confcommercio and Confesercenti, today it is the turn of monopoly retailers who play a role of great social impact, representing the primary network of providers of services to the community on behalf of the State.
Step by step, leaving no one behind, we are completing a mosaic in which each piece has a value in itself and a further value, if systematically united with all the others.
I therefore thank the President of the Italian Tobacconists Federation of Potenza for having immediately grasped the importance of this ambitious challenge.
Collaborative and synergistic networking proves once again to be the only winning strategy”, the Prefect’s reflections on the sidelines of the signing of the Agreement and the presentation of the Vademecum.
The Memorandum of Understanding and the Vademecum for tobacconists are published on the institutional website at www.prefettura/potenza.it.
