Italy

Southern Europe

[[]]

Italy is a state at the Mediterranean, which most supernaturals having ties to the Roman Empire of antiquity or the advances of the Renaissance cities. Today, the situation has slightly changed, and many among the supernaturals are forced to maintain a low profile due the high percentage of Witch-hunters active in Italy.

For information about Italy in Antiquity, visit Rome.

The Kindred of Italy have fallen on hard times since the Anarch Revolt. Camarilla and Sabbat alike maintain low profiles and conspire against each other, as most of the native Kindred simply do not exercise any measure of cooperation or strategic planning with other sect officials. They prefer to bicker amongst themselves and keep up centuries-old squabbles over whom invaded whose city and so on. The cities suffer as a result.

The vast majority of Italian princes are Brujah, Toreador or Ventrue, but there are also a prominent set of Lasombra dioceses that date back to the Long Night, the most prominent (until recently) being Giangaleazzo, as well as Grimaldi strongholds that are controlled by the Tzimisce. Nearly all of them live in the distant past, longing nostalgically for their youth. The absent-mindness and carelessness of the ruling vampires results in a variety of “Anarch”- as most Anarchs in Europe are Ancillae and fairly set in their ways compared to their American counterparts- domains especially in the rural north of the country. Sabbat activity has recently increased, as many packs travel to Italy to retake Milan and punish Giangaleazzo, but the Camarilla has reacted by sending their own elite corps down there, rekindling the sect war on European ground. Before their destruction, The Tal’Mahe’Ra entertained a minor Revenant family in the Po valley, the Rafastio, who were also potent hedge mages.

The true power in Italy, however, rests with the Giovanni (and, by extension, the Putanesca and Rosselini families that were adopted into the Clan). Other clans fear the Giovanni, though they are loath to admit this. The Giovanni are slowly taking over the financial realms of the Elders and looking for more rapid expansion through the European Economic Community. Thanks to their mortal family members, they are among the few clans that have managed to gain footholds in the Vatican itself. No one is willing to question the Giovanni - much less oppose them - in Italy.

Cities of Italy

• -- Bologna
• -- Cagliari
• -- Florence
• -- Genoa
• -- Milan - Home of Giangaleazzo - Prince of Milan; also known as "The Traitor Prince of Milan."
• -- Naples -- Partenope
• -- Palermo {Capital of Sicily}
• -- Rome - The Italian Capital City
• -- Syracuse -- Ancient Birthplace of Archimedes {Sicily}
• -- Venice -- "Queen of the Adriatic" -- Family Seat of the Giovanni Clan of Vampires
• -- Verona

Districts of Italy

• -- Corsica
• -- Sardinia
• -- Sicily

Italian Law Enforcement

Law enforcement in Italy is provided by multiple police forces, five of which are national, Italian agencies.

General Considerations

Italy divides police enforcement into Military and Civil guards, distinguishing each "corps" for duties and jurisdictions. All law enforcement officers are considered "Pubblico Ufficiale" (Public Functionary) but not all officers are "Agente di Pubblica Sicurezza" (Public Safety officer) as the latter gives the authority to arrest, investigate and patrol in the whole national territory and in all situations.

All police (except the military police, the Carabinieri) are under the Ministero dell'Interno, the highest police and public safety authority, which - through the Department of Public Safety - coordinates the enforcements. Locally, Polizia di Stato is under the Authority of the Prefetto, who collaborates with the Questore (the local chief of Polizia di Stato, with technical jurisdiction on all forces) to organise the enforcements.

Polizia Locale is under the authority of the mayor, but the officers' mandate is valid only during duty time, while Carabinieri, Polizia di Stato and Guardia di Finanza (which are public safety agents) are always "on duty", even during leave and vacations.

During 2005 in Italy, the number of active police officers from all agencies totaled 324,339, the highest number in the European Union both overall and per capita, twice the number of agents in the similarly sized United Kingdom.[1] However, in this numbers are included the members of the Arma dei Carabinieri, one of the four Italian Armed Forces, that does not have the unique role of police enforcement.

Structure

National police forces

The Polizia di Stato (State Police) is the civil national police of Italy. Along with patrolling, investigative and law enforcement duties, it patrols the Autostrada (Italy's Express Highway network), and oversees the security of railways, bridges and waterways.

It is a civilian police force, while the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza are military. While its internal organization and mindset is somewhat military, its personnel is composed of civilians. Its headquarters are in Rome, and there are Regional and Provincial divisions throughout Italian territory.

A program Polizia di Quartiere (Quarter Police) has been implemented which increases police presence and deters crime. Pairs of poliziotti (policemen) or carabinieri patrol areas of major cities on foot.

Guardia di Finanza

The Guardia di Finanza, (English: Financial Guard) is a military corps under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance, with a role as police force.

The Corps is in charge of financial, economic, judiciary and public safety: tax evasion, financial crimes, smuggling, money laundering, international illegal drug trafficking, illegal immigration, customs and borders checks, copyright violations, anti-Mafia operations, credit card fraud, cybercrime, counterfeiting, terrorist financing, maintaining public order, and safety, political and military defense of the Italian borders.

The Guardia di Finanza has a strength of around 68,000 soldiers working as agents, NCOs and officers. Its militaries are in service in the Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office. Its Latin motto since 1933 is Nec recisa recedit (English: Not Even Broken Retreats). The Guardia di Finanza also maintains over 600 boats and ships and more than 100 aircraft to fulfill its mission of patrolling Italy's territorial waters.

During demonstrations and very big events, the Guardia di Finanza is often called on duty as riot police.

Arma dei Carabinieri

The Carabinieri is the common name for the Arma dei Carabinieri, a Gendarmerie-like military corps with police duties. They also serve as the military police for the Italian armed forces.

The Carabinieri have become a separate armed force (alongside the Army, Navy and Air Force), thus ending their long-standing tradition as the First Corps (Arma) of the Italian Army (Esercito). They are referred to as the Arma or La Benemerita (The Meritorious Corps).

Carabinieri units have been dispatched all over the world in peacekeeping missions, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.

In November 2003, twelve Carabinieri were killed in a suicide bomb attack on their base in Nasiriyah, in southern Iraq. This was Italy's largest military loss in a single action since World War II.

Until 2001, only men were allowed to become part of the Arma (or any military force, for that matter), but military reforms allow women to serve in the Italian military, including Carabinieri.

Having both military police duties and civil police duties, the Arma is usually called on duty as riot police during big events and demonstrations.

Polizia Penitenziaria

The Polizia Penitenziaria (Prison Guards, literally Penitentiary Police) operate the Italian prison system and handle the transportation of inmates. The training academies for the Polizia Penitenziaria are located in Aversa, Monastir, Cairo Montenotte, Castiglione delle Stiviere, Parma, Portici, Rome, San Pietro Clarenza, Verbania and Sulmona.

Its agents are sometimes called to help the other police forces during big events.

Corpo Forestale dello Stato

The Corpo Forestale dello Stato (National Forestry Department) is responsible for law enforcement in Italian national parks and forests. Their duties include enforcing poaching laws, safeguarding protected animal species and preventing forest fires. Founded in 1822, the Corpo Forestale dello Stato is a civilian police force specialised on the environmental protection. A recent law reform expanded its duties to food controls.[3] In Italy it has the responsibility to manage the activities related to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

Interforces

The Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (or DIA) (Anti-Mafia Investigation Department) is a joint organization of Polizia di Stato, Carabinieri, Corpo Forestale dello Stato and Guardia di Finanza for the fight against organized crime. Founded in 1991, under the authority of the Minister of Interior e the coordination of the Direzione Nazionale Antimafia (National Anti-Mafia Directorat). Its operations include preemptive investigations, judicial investigations, and international relations, and it investigates characteristics, objectives, and methods of the Mafia as well as their domestic and international contacts. The DIA was to prevent mafiosi from infiltrating the government.[4]

The Direzione Centrale per i Servizi Antidroga (Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Services) is a joint organization of Polizia di Stato, Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza for the fight against drug trafficking. Founded in 1976 us Direzione Anti Droga (Anti-Drug Directorate), is under the authority of the Criminal police department of the Minister of Interior.

Local police forces

Provincial Police

The Polizia Provinciale (Provincial Police) is a local police only used in some of the 109 provinces of Italy. Their main tasks are to enforce regional and national hunting and fishing laws, but have also expanded in wildlife management and environmental protection. Carries traffic police service and participates in the security services arranged by the authorities.

Municipal Police

In addition, each comune has its own Polizia Municipale (Municipal Police) whose main duty is to enforce local regulations and traffic laws; it also deals with petty crimes but in larger cities they cooperate with the national police forces to prevent and repress major crimes. Depending on their location they are also called Polizia Municipale, Polizia Locale, Polizia Comunale, Polizia Urbana or Vigili Urbani.

In some regions Polizia Provinciale and Polizia Municipale are grouped together under the name Polizia Locale (Local Police), although they keep their own internal organisation. Small communes can merge their local police forces in a consortium.

Both provincial and municipal forces are reliant on the State Police for scientific support and other forms of assistance.

Historical

The Organizzazione di Vigilanza Repressione dell'Antifascismo (or OVRA) (English: Organization for Vigilance in Repression of Anti-Fascism) was a secret police organization in Italy during fascism.

The Polizia dell'Africa Italiana or PAI (Police of Italian Africa) (1936–1944).

The Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana or GNR (National Republic Guard) was a paramilitary force of the Italian Social Republic created by decree on December 8, 1943, replacing the Carabinieri and the MVSN.

Zaptié were locally raised gendarmerie units in the Italian colonies of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Colonia Primigenia and Somalia between 1889 and 1942.

Zaptié were used during the period of Trust Territory of Somaliland from 1950 to 1960. Members were sent to Italy to train and after 1960 the merged into the Somali Police Force.