What is the difference between police and carabinieri

But why does Italy have two police forces and what is so special about this one? I've always been puzzled by the fact that Italy has two police forces, although Italians don't seem to find it strange at all.

If you ask "why two? The carabinieri are actually older than Italy itself. Their name comes from the carabina, the rifle they traditionally carried. Among the famous people they've arrested over the past two centuries, they can even boast one of Italy's founding fathers, Giuseppe Garibaldi - twice. When Italy was unified, the royal corps of carabinieri remained a nationwide military presence performing law enforcement duties so, in many ways, functioning as a duplicate police force.

In fact, you're just as likely to hear an Italian threaten to call the carabinieri as the polizia. For one you dial , for the other - but most Italians I've challenged don't know which is which, even though it says on the side of the carabinieri's cars. And just like the police, they're loved and loathed: hailed for acts of courage, condemned for excessive violence.

But the one thing they're best known for is being the national butt of politically incorrect jokes: where once the English featured an Irishman, the Italians have a carabiniere. This problem was solved with the creation of a single emergency number. Today you will only have to remember , and an operator who sorts the call according to the urgency to be resolved.

Alternatively, if you do need someone specific these are other emergency numbers: for the Police, for the Fire Brigade, or for an ambulance. I really appreciate it and each glass inspires me to research more into life in Italy! View all posts by Evelyn Hill. Skip to content Whether you live in Italy or are just here for a minute , you might have noticed all the different police around. What is the difference between Police and Carabinieri?

Carabinieri: what do they do? Published by Evelyn Hill. Law and order in Italy is the responsibility of five national police forces, and two local police forces. Together, these organisations employ over , officers, the highest number employed by any of the countries in the European Union.

There is an additional organisation, called The 'Direzione Investigativa Antimafia' DIA Anti-Mafia Investigation Department which is a cooperative venture between all five of the police forces which is charged with tackling organised crime. The State Police Polizia di Stato is a civilian police force primarily responsible for the maintainance of public order and security, under the control of the Department of Public Security Dipartimento della Pubblica Sicurezza.

It currently employs around , personnel. A police station in Italy is called a 'Questura', and there is one located in each of the provincial capitals of Italy. In true Italian style, two 'Lamborghini Gallardo' supercars were donated to the Highway Patrol in The Finance Police Guardia di Finanza , employs around 70, officers and is a military organisation under the control of the Minister of Economy and Finance. It is responsible for all crimes involving finance, such as: bribery and corruption, money laundering, credit card fraud, cybercrime, and counterfeiting.

It also shares responsibility for border controls with the 'State Police' and the 'Carabinieri', investigating such crimes as: illegal immigration, smuggling and international drug trafficking. It is part of the Italian Armed Forces and maintains a fleet of boats and ships and more than aircraft to help protect Italy's international borders.

The Carabinieri are the national military police force of Italy. Controlled by the Ministry of Defence, they have both military and civil responsibilities. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.

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