Siap meets with Catania’s police chief, understaffed force

Last Updated: November 28, 2023

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The control of the territory and the personnel were the focus of a meeting in Catania between a delegation of the Italian police union (Siap) and the police chief Giuseppe Bellassai. The union highlighted the serious difficulties that the police headquarters of Catania is facing with many officers engaged in various surveillance activities across the city. They estimate that over 80 officers are involved in static surveillance activities at the court, hospitals, police headquarters and other locations, which could instead be used for crime prevention and investigations. The union expressed appreciation for recent crime prevention operations and increased visibility of patrols, but also expressed concerns about the understaffing and inability to provide dynamic services in the neighborhoods. They called for a significant reinforcement of personnel to ensure an efficient and visible local police force. The union also emphasized the need to strengthen the general prevention and public assistance office and the reporting office, and suggested finding alternative structures for the new headquarters of the police headquarters. They proposed the requalification of abandoned hospital structures as the new and only headquarters for the police headquarters of Catania.