Drug dealing near the “Le Aquile” shopping center: the Chief of Police of
Catanzaro issues a Ban on Access to Urban Centers.
In recent days, the Chief of Police has issued, against a 21-year-old resident of the
provincial capital, a Ban on Access to Urban Centers (D.A.C.Ur.), a personal prevention measure introduced by art. 13 of Decree Law no. 14/2017 to combat drug dealing
at public establishments.
The man was caught inside the parking lot of the “Le Aquile” shopping center
attempting to hand over to the driver of another car a package, which was later found to contain
a narcotic substance, specifically cocaine, using a well-tested system consisting of throwing the
substance out the window and turning on the car’s hazard lights as a sign of
recognition for the buyer, in order to indicate the exact place where the
narcotic could be retrieved. The man was also found in possession of two other packages hidden inside
his own car. He was therefore arrested in the act by the Police, and then
released again by the Judge.
The man was already known to law enforcement and the Provincial Public Security Authority, as he
already had previous police records for personal injury, was a repeat offender for possession of narcotics
for the purpose of dealing, and was already subject to the preventive measure of the Chief of Police’s Oral Warning.
Given, therefore, the personality and social dangerousness of the individual, as well as the repeated
violations of rules protecting public safety, the man was banned from accessing
that particular area. The measure in question, in fact, providing for the removal of the
offender for a period of five years from all businesses and public places in the Commercial Park,
is specifically aimed at countering behaviors that could undermine the peace and
safety of families who frequent that particular place.
Compliance with the measure will be ensured by the video surveillance system present in the Shopping
Center and, in the event of any violation, the offender, already warned of the related
consequences, will be punished with imprisonment of up to 3 years and a monetary fine.