A beautiful day I remember for the local police of Altamura on Tuesday 11 June 2024 with all the staff present in the central command square to demonstrate the level of preparation on “operational techniques and tactics”. A veteran expert in military tactics and security prepares it.
It is the first time that such an event has been recorded in the history of the local police. A project strongly supported by the Commander, lawyer. Maria Paola Stefanelli, present at the event, and supported by the municipal administration in office.
Present at the ceremony were the mayor Prof. Vitantonio Petronella; the local police councilor Tommaso Lorusso; the Councilor for Personnel and Education Lucia Diele; and the chaplain Don Vincenzo Panaro, as well as the families of the Agents who surrounded the event.
All the Agents, Non-Commissioned Officers and Officers were lined up in review in front of the authorities, under the command of the Superior Commissioners Giuseppe Ventura and Angelo Tragni.
The focus of the moment was the presentation of Captain Giancarlo Candiano (49 years old), who, having taken command, gave orders to the anti-crime patrols to go to the site of the accident.
In the space of a few seconds the square was transformed into a scene of pursuit with service cars with sirens blaring. The car with two criminals on board (simulated by two officers) was flanked by three local police vehicles, one of which placed itself in front to block the vehicle. The exercise was a perfect success thanks to the operational techniques and tactics learned during the course.
Mayor V. Petronella addressed words of praise towards the Agents, declaring that your contribution is notable for security and order. The exercise serves to verify how the Command moves; a training course started last January – I like to remember – which began with the legislative and technical part, aimed at all local police personnel.
Words of appreciation for the high level achieved by the Agents were also expressed by Councilor Tommaso Lorusso, while the Commander, lawyer. Maria Paola Stefanelli added that the course was very successful thanks to the professionalism of Capt. G. Candiano; the procedures for the correct use of equipment, control, arrest and search procedures, various operational techniques and public safety control devices were learned.
This was followed by the delivery of training certificates to all Agents, Non-Commissioned Officers and Officers.
On this occasion, Chief Commissioners Giuseppe Ventura and Angelo Tragni were promoted to Senior Commissioner (formerly Major).
Capt. Giancarlo Candiano, originally from Bari, boasts in his CV experience as a former paratrooper of the “Folgore” in the nineties; from 2001 to 2011 he was an instructor for the Catalan Police (Spain) in the “Mossos d’Esquadra”. Subsequently, an Iberian government body appointed him as chief instructor for the training of the Spanish police forces with particular reference to the “GEI” special intervention group.
In 2011 he participated in the competition for a foreign officer position published by the Ministry of the United Arab Emirates; out of 842 applicants he was the only foreigner to pass the very strict selection. His service lasted 10 years starting with the rank of Second Lieutenant and discharged with that of Captain.
The basis of his activity was Abu Dabi at the Headquarters of the Federal Police of the United Arab Emirates with the role of Commander of one of the three Police teams and Chief Instructor of the entire Special Forces Department. Among the countless operations completed in those 10 years were those of anti-terrorism and organized crime.
He was the only Italian to obtain the honor with two medals of merit: one received from the President and the other from the Minister of the Interior of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In recent years he has also been involved in training at other local police commands: Olbia, Sassari, Matera, Gioia del Colle.
