The Prefect of Catanzaro, Castrese De Rosa, chaired the seventh "itinerant" meeting of the Provincial Committee for Public Order and Security, which was held at the Municipality of Soverato. In addition to the Chief of Police and the Territorial Heads of the Law Enforcement Agencies, the Commander of the Calabria Highway Police Department, the Extraordinary Commissioner of the ASP of Catanzaro, Gen. Antonio Battistini, the Medical Director of the same Company, Dr. Antonio Gallucci, the Commander of the Soverato Maritime District Office, T.V. Paolo Amato, the Mayors, Administrators and Commissioners of the Municipalities of Catanzaro, Lamezia Terme, Badolato, Davoli, Guardavalle, Isca sullo Ionio, Montauro, Montepaone, San Sostene, Sant’Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio, Santa Caterina dello Ionio, Satriano and Soverato took part.
The meeting started with a joint analysis of crime rates for the three-year period 2022-23-24 in the area, and continued with the interventions of the Local Administrators, who opened a fruitful discussion on the problems that the Municipalities face daily.
The Committee proved to be a useful opportunity for discussion to examine the most relevant issues raised by the Administrators, with particular reference
to the need to increase the staff of the Local Police – also in order to ensure compliance with mayoral ordinances – to the implementation of video surveillance systems already present in the area, to problems related to the coverage of medical guard posts, to the cleaning of watercourses and riverbanks, as well as to road safety due to increased traffic during the summer period.
On this occasion, the Prefect informed the Administrators of the adoption of a prefectural ordinance prohibiting night-time circulation for vehicles used for sewage suction, in order to protect the environment and prevent illegal dumping.
“In view of the imminent summer season,” declared the Prefect of Catanzaro, “territorial control activities will be strengthened, thanks to the increase in staff in the workforce of the Police Headquarters, the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza. The arrival of summer also requires evaluating, in line with ministerial directives on the subject, the possibility of establishing, in case of unrest, 'red zones' in urban areas, where the presence of dangerous individuals with criminal records is prohibited and their removal can therefore be ordered.”
In particular, the plan to strengthen summer surveillance services provides for the use of the following additional units: 10 units of the State Police for the period from July 1 to September 1; 11 units of the Carabinieri for the period from June 30 to August 10 and 9 units from August 11 to August 31; 8 units of the Guardia di Finanza for the period from August 2 to August 16.
In conclusion, the Prefect emphasized the usefulness of the "Memorandum of Understanding for the prevention of illegal acts and dangerous situations for public order and safety inside and in the immediate vicinity of public establishments and nightclubs in the province of Catanzaro," signed in early June at the Prefecture.
The additional staff units will also be used to ensure compliance with the aforementioned agreement, with a view to healthy entertainment and checks on compliance with the ban on serving alcohol to minors and the capacity limits of venues open to the public.
In the Assembly, the Prefect also highlighted the opportunity for any mayoral ordinances regulating nightlife hours to be uniform and homogeneous both in terms of requirements and hours, so as to avoid overcrowding in certain locations where the closing time of venues may be later than that of venues in neighboring municipalities.