Polizia Penitenziaria

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Coat of arms of the Polizia Penitenziaria.

The Polizia Penitenziaria (Italian for Penitentiary Police) is a law enforcement agency in Italy.

According to Interpol, this force (part of the Ministry of Justice) has a "nationwide remit for prison security, inmate safety and transportation".[1]

Overview[]

Smart car of the Polizia Penitenziaria. Notice the blue flashing lightbar on the roof.

Subordinate to the Italian Ministry of Justice, the Polizia Penitenziaria operate the Italian prison system as corrections officers. The Vatican City, an independent state, does not have a prison system, so the Vatican sends convicted criminals to the Italian prison system.[2]

The Polizia Penitenziaria was formed in 1990 to replace the former Corpo degli Agenti di Custodia. Professionalization and demilitarization were motives for creating the new organisation.

Europol (the EU's law enforcement agency), provides this summary of the corps' responsibilities:[3]

to "ensure order and security inside and outside the buildings, preventing unauthorized entry or exit. In addition, they manage to organise and educate inmates, and provide transport, escort and guard services for prisoners. The Corps has its own marine service and dog and horse units. Finally, the Penitentiary Police can be deployed to carry out public order and security functions, including public rescue, in cases where they are required to help provide specific civil protection".

Sport Team[]

Polizia Penitenziaria has a sport team named Fiamme Azzurre.

Vehicles and Equipment[]

Motor transport[]

Polizia Penitenziaria van

Its vehicle livery is dark blue with a light blue stripe along the side and Polizia Penitenziaria in white letters under the stripe. Currently use some Lancia Lybra, Alfa Romeo 159 and Iveco Daily.

The registration plates, like other public police forces of Italy, have 'Polizia Penitenziaria in red on the number plate.

Registration plate

Mounted Unit[]

The Polizia Penitenziaria has a mounted (horses) unit, for police work.

Weapons[]

The Polizia Penitenziaria are an armed police force, like most Italian police forces and it uses a variety of firearms and weapons for self-defence:

Uniform[]

Polizia Penitenziaria on parade with Beretta PM 12 weapons and blue berets

As a national, civilian police force, the uniform and insignia is similar to other Italian police forces.[6]

Principally, there are:[7]

  • Ordinary uniform - everyday uniform; blue trousers & blue tunic, white shirt & tie, peaked/bowler caps, pistol holster worn from left bottom pocket flap
  • Service uniform - same as above, but with a beret for males & females, instead of peaked/bowler caps
  • Armed uniform - same as above, but with a belt over the top of the tunic, with pistol and other equipment
  • Operational uniform - training and operations work, outdoor style uniform with beret
  • Public order/riot control uniform - disorder
  • Parade, ceremonial and 'representation services' uniforms - public events, parades, VIP visits etc
  • Marine section uniform - marine work
  • Canine (dog) section uniform - for canine agents
  • Motorcyclist uniform - for motorcycle duties
  • Mounted section uniform[8]

Uniforms are then further split along the lines of:

  • Rank - some uniforms will rarely be worn by more senior officers and the insignia and accompliments on each uniform, will differ according to rank.
  • Season (weather) - e.g. shirt sleeves, polo shirts, capes, coats, etc.

The type of uniform worn depends also on the duty being carried out. E.g. office work, or prison landing work, or armed exterior patrols, or riots, will all require different uniform and equipment.

Notes[]

  • The aiguillette (lanyard on tunic) changes with the role.[9]
  • For more senior officers (executives, inspectors etc) they carry their individual weapon (pistol) in a special internal holster in black leather, under the flap of the tunic.[10]

Recruiting[]

The Polizia Penitenziaria recruites his members through an open, public and competitive exam which is announced by the Ministry of Justice. A quote of the available working posts can be reserved by law to the promotion of internal workers or people who have contracted a permanent and irreversible infirmity in the fulfillment of their duty. An analogue right could be reserved to their more proximate relatives.

Until the approval of the ordinary law n. 225 of August 23, 2004, the selection was open to any Italian civil citizen who had the requisites for absolving the military service. Those people had the right to absolve it directly within the Polizia Penitenziaria, after having passed the public exam for the qualification as an auxiliary agent. The selection was reserved to the Italian male residents who were eligible for the military service.

From 1st January 2005 to 31st December 2016, the working positions, which had been object of public selection, were reserved to volunteers who had a conscription in the Italian Armed Forces for one year (VFP1) or for four years (VFP4).[11] On January 1, 2017, the public selections were newly open to civil citizens and a share of 40% of the available working roles began to be reserved to them. The psycho-physical requisites were the same fixed by the Decree of Italian President of Republic n. 904, which had come into force on 23rd December 1983.[12]

As of July 2021, the winners of the public exam have to frequent and pass an additional formative course whose duration ranges from around a year for the auxiliary agents to 24 months for the police commissioners.[13] The latter position is solely accessible by people who are graduated with a 5-years degree in Jurisprudence or analogue degree titles.[14][15]

Gallery[]

  • Polizia Penitenziaria officers.

  • Polizia Penitenziaria boat in Venice.

  • Polizia Penitenziaria Alfa Romeo 159 police car.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Italie". Interpol. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Is the Vatican a Rogue State?" Spiegel Online. 19 January 2007. Retrieved on 25 August 2010.
  3. ^ "Italy". Europol. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  4. ^ https://www.penitenziaria.it/public/foto_carcere/pistola_beretta_penitenziaria_mark.jpg
  5. ^ "Gestione Gruppo Operativo Mobile e sezioni destinate ai detenuti sottoposti al regime di cui all'art. 41 bis o.p." (in Italian). 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Uniformi". Archived from the original on 11 August 2020.
  7. ^ https://poliziapenitenziaria.gov.it/polizia-penitenziaria-site/it/uniformi.page
  8. ^ "Uniforme Ordinaria Estiva Funzionari e Dirigenti". Archived from the original on 16 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Uniforme per Servizi di Rappresentanza". Archived from the original on 16 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Uniforme Ordinaria Estiva Funzionari e Dirigenti". Archived from the original on 16 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Law n. 225 of 23rd August 2004, article 165, subsection 1" (in Italian).
  12. ^ "D.P.R. n. 904 of 23rd December 1983, article 1" (in Italian).
  13. ^ "Organizzazione del corso di formazione allievi agenti di Polizia" [The formative course for police agent apprenctices] (in Italian). Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Come diventare commissario della Polizia di Stato" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2020.
  15. ^ "Come diventare Commissario Polizia di Stato – La guida" (in Italian). 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020.

External links[]


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