The first public meetings that relaunch the activity of the neighborhood watch groups in Vicenza begin at the end of June. In September other events will complete a first round of meetings organized by the local police command in the area, in collaboration with the group coordinators.
The first four appointments will be held Wednesday 26 June at the Circolo Proti in contra’ Giampietro de’ Proti for residents of the areas of Campo Marzo, Piazza Castello, Quadrilatero and Piazzale Bologna,
Friday 28 June at Villa Lattes in via Thaon di Revel for those who live in the areas of via Allende, via Adenauer, San Giuseppe and Parco Fornaci.
Monday 1st July to the former district 4 in via Turra for the areas of Santa Lucia, Borgo Scroffa, Parco Città and Sant’Andrea; Tuesday 2 July at the B55 Center in Contra’ Barche for the areas of Monte Berico, Strada della Commenda and Strada dei Templari.
All meetings will take place from 6pm to 8pm, with thegoal to present the project and its aims, the methods of reporting and discussion with the local police and other law enforcement agencies, and collect timely information from citizens.
“The assemblies – they inform from Palazzo Trissino – will also be an opportunity to give new impetus to the groups’ activity, making the project more accessible and known to citizens and consequently the support that citizens can give to the police more effective ”.
The neighborhood control initiative in Vicenza was born in 2019 for the areas of Parco Città, Sant’Andrea, S. Lucia and Borgo Scroffa; via Allende, via Adenauer, San Giuseppe and Parco Fornaci; Campo Marzo, Piazza Castello, the Quadrilatero area and Piazzale Bologna.
In 2023, with the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Prefecture and the Municipality of Vicenza, the project was extended to Laghetto, Monte Crocetta, Monte Berico, Strada della Commenda and Strada dei Templari.
Since 1 March 2022, almost monthly meetings have been held in the Command with the coordinators and deputy coordinators of the different areas.
Since the installation of the new administration (29 May 2023), the mayor Giacomo Possamai and the councilor for social policies Matteo Tosetto have also participated in the meetings; on one occasion staff from the street unit and social services also intervened.
To date, eight neighborhood control groups are active (area of via Allende, via Adenauer, San Giuseppe and Parco Fornaci; area of Campo Marzo, piazza Castello, Quadrilatero and piazzale Bologna; area of Santa Lucia and Borgo Scroffa; area of Parco Città and Sant’Andrea; the Monte Crocetta area; the Commenda street area and the Monte Berico area).
The reports collected by the coordinators and deputy coordinators of each area are forwarded to the local police command through the “IO SEGNALO” platform, except for any urgent requests for intervention which follow the procedure of the telephone call to the police switchboard.
As a rule, the Command processes requests and prepares targeted interventions.
Since the activation of the platform in 2022, 140 reports have been collected, mainly concerning possible situations of drug dealing and consumption, illicit disposal and abandonment of waste, situations of dirt and degradation, damage or demolition of road signs and failure to comply with the rules of the Traffic Laws.
