First day of work today for 5 new Municipal Police officers in Syracuse. They were hired on a fixed-term basis, while waiting to complete the procedures to allow the full-time entry of 7 new units. The staffing gap, between retirements and hiring freezes, has reached around 150 agents over the years. And it is one of the main reasons why the Municipal Aretusea has been losing its luster. The new commander Stefano Blasco has the difficult task of relaunching image and esprit de corps, regaining the consensus that has gradually waned in public opinion.
The new hires were made possible by the allocation of the Fund for the strengthening of urban safety initiatives by the Municipalities (three-year period 2024-2026). For the Municipality of Syracuse, 105,160 euros have been allocated for each of the three years (2024, 2025 and 2026). The Prefecture of Syracuse has given its green light to the hiring in derogation to strengthen controls in the area “especially in the summer season, affected by significant tourist flows” and “to guarantee safety, controls and the surveillance service during events sporting, social and cultural”.
The 5 new Municipal Police officers will be employed for 6 months a year for all service activities. To identify suitable candidates, Palazzo Vermexio used rankings from other bodies (in particular that of the Municipality of Priolo Gargallo), still valid, pending a new public competition.
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