The BAT Traffic Police section born in 2021, is committed daily on several fronts: prevention of accidents, detection of road accidents and verification of road traffic violations.
Since October 2023, Dr. Lucia Adele Merli has been directing the BAT Traffic Police section, one of the most sensitive and operational offices of the traffic police force in an area that is vulnerable but has great potential.
We met Dr. Lucia Adele Merli to understand more closely the importance of this specialty of the State Police in our territory and the panoramic situation of the sixth province.
A brief description with the most important stages of her career, for example when she joined the Police, then her professional path.
«I took part in the competition for commissioners of the State Police in 2018 and in September of the same year I was sent to the training course. In March 2020, at the end of the course, I was then assigned to my first place of service which was the institute for superintendents “Rolando Lanari” in Spoleto, so I dealt with training – explains the Manager Lucia Adele Merli – For about three and a half years I was responsible for preparing the planning of the teaching activities of the young colleagues and other events in which we placed the emphasis on the ethical aspect and also on the care of the formal structure, which is a fundamental aspect, in my opinion, not only when we are on the course, but also afterwards, in operational life, when we are at the service of the citizen”
Why do you consider the formal structure important? “The formal structure is fundamental, because seeing a policeman composed, who wears the uniform in a certain way, in an orderly manner, who behaves in an ethically correct manner also with the citizen, has another effect. This is one of those cases in which we can say that form is also substance, because a policeman with a uniform in perfect order inspires a high level of trust in the citizen”
What is your initial assessment of this experience, considering that you come from the Institute for Superintendents of Spoleto, different geographical and working realities?
«It is a very different role from the one I have held before in the world of training, it is certainly very demanding, but also very rewarding, demanding because it requires a lot in terms of consistency, commitment and sacrifice, but it gives me a lot in terms of personal and professional satisfaction , I never get bored because it is very varied, that is, my activity is made up of many pieces, all different from each other but equally important, because I go from bureaucratic activity in the office to moments of operation on the road, to awareness-raising activities of citizenship, respect for the rules and therefore conscious use of the road – he adds – I have been here since October 2023. My balance is positive. There is still a lot to build. The fact of being able to make a contribution, in my own small way, to the growth of this section is a source of great pride for me, it is very stimulating also because the Bat is a territory that is perhaps still a little vulnerable, still all new, but certainly a territory with great potential. It’s a good challenge to be here».
The Highway Patrol is one of the most important specialties of the State Police. Was this a choice or an assignment?
«For me, the Highway Police was a choice and I am happy to have made it because I have always been fascinated by the work of the traffic policeman who is not simply someone who issues reports and fines, that would be too reductive, but is a policeman close to the citizen, especially the citizen who experiences difficult situations on the street to manage even from an emotional point of view.».
As a young female Traffic Police officer, you have carried out important national activities and demonstrations in recent months. What do these experiences consist of and what did you have to deal with?
«I participated in Sanremo, in the celebrations for the 172nd anniversary of the Foundation of the State Police, in Tg2 motori and in the Giro d’Italia, and then in the G7. I had the honor of representing the Highway Police during these events, carrying out activities that are defined as communication. It is an activity that we care about particularly, because it allows us to carry out one of the tasks that are entrusted to us by article 11 of the Highway Code, that is, prevention, because our goal is to achieve mobility without victims, for this reason we try to speak to all citizens, raising their awareness of correct use of the road. And these events are an ideal opportunity to do this, because you have the opportunity to speak to many people, trying to reach their hearts, because only in this way will we be able to achieve our goal of mobility with zero victims”
What would you say to anyone who might want to get into this job?
«It is a choice to be made with the head but also with the heart because when we decide to take part in the competition and wear this uniform we must remember that we will always wear it, both when on duty and when off duty. This is not a profession like the others, we must be ready to intervene always and wherever there is someone who needs us, at any time of any day of the year, it is a job that could lead us to not having regular hours, having to make sacrifices, and all this can affect not only us, but also the people around us. Therefore, we choose to join the Police with our heads but above all with our hearts.”
What is the situation of BAT, with respect to the rules of the road?
«Unfortunately, compliance with the letter of the Highway Code is a generalized punctum dolens. What we encounter most frequently is the failure to respect basic rules, such as those on the use of seat belts, cell phones, child restraint devices, respect for speed limits and alcohol percentages allowed while driving. With our presence, we want to try to make people understand first the rationale for these rules and then the importance of their application, so that they are not seen as a limitation to our freedom, but as a precious ally of our safety”.
