The police chief, the prefect Alessandro Pansa and the interior minister, Angelino Alfano, spoke in front of the women and men in uniform represented from the various operational departments.
"The policemen are the real heroes of our times", with these words the prefect Pansa addressed his gratitude to all the policemen and their work.
A special thought went to the policemen who lost their lives wearing uniforms, such as Massimo Impieri, a young road policeman who lost his life helping motorists to prevent them from running into serious accidents. Another memory went to Luca Tanzi, who last November during the flood in Sardinia, finished the service with his colleagues, escorting an ambulance that did not know the paths devastated by the flood, his car sank on a bridge destroyed by the flood , further memory then went to Filippo Raciti and the injured on the pitch during last Saturday's football match.
The prefect also congratulated the various departments for the positive results obtained during the year: to the traffic police for a decrease in reports of deaths and injuries, to the railway police which increased the number of suspects and arrested (especially in scope of the activities carried out in contrast to the theft of copper), to the postal police increasingly active in the fight against child pornography and in cyber attacks.
Speaking of the immigration sector, the chief of police highlighted that "the commitment of the State Police has been very remarkable, which in the last 12 months has had to deal with the arrival of 66.207 migrants, compared to 14.803 in the corresponding previous period.
In the field of combating trafficking in human beings, special investigative groups have been established, which have enabled the arrest of 263 smugglers and the seizure of 148 boats for abetting immigration. 2.320.247 residence permits were then issued. "The objectives achieved in the quality of training at all levels are also important." Our high school, where we are today, has just been awarded the certificate of compliance with the most rigorous international standard in quality theme. And soon we will adopt a permanent training program for all our operators ".
With regard to public order, the prefect Pansa reiterates that "it is not easy to keep your nerve while, together with insults of all kinds, you are also targeted by paper bombs, firecrackers, rockets, stones and metal marbles, with the consequent risk to be seriously injured or even to lose his life "and aims" as director general of public security and as chief of police, to continue to guarantee everyone the right to freely express their opinions, but with equal respect right of other citizens not to see their assets and activities damaged and the right of public order operators not to risk their safety or career every day ".
Turning then to Angelino Alfano - "In conclusion, Minister: the rationalization of spending as well as the protection of policemen are certainly very much felt needs, but I consider it right to underline, as I have done since the beginning of my mandate, that the contractual block, the salary caps and the failure to review careers are other urgencies that I ask you to find adequate answers as soon as possible ".
Minister Alfano then took the floor, praising the work of women and men in uniform, and stressed that "there is no freedom if there is no security, and that security is one of the ways in which freedom. There is no free people, if they are not free from fear and freedom from fear has our women and men in defense, who are in our cities every day to defend freedom and even democracy ". Then addressing the mayor of Rome, present in the room, he underlined that "the right to personal safety of men and women in uniform, the right of the inhabitants of our cities to live peacefully in their own city, are equivalent, equivalent rights placed on the same plan and - the minister reiterates - there is no more right than the others ".
Alfano then praised the commitment of the police unions for "responsible action to contain the discomforts, the responsible ability to channel the troubles of the staff, the desire for revenge of those who have been wronged or think they have suffered it, and this "It is the ability of our unions to channel them all on the side of proper institutional relations. I will certainly head the right claim to the reorganization of careers and to stop the wage block. He then concludes his speech by pointing out that" this country can be proud of the police, of his fallen, his women and his men on duty. Today we are proud of this pride in memory of this Police Day. "
At the end of the speeches the police chief and the minister conferred gold medals for civil merit and promotions.
First the gold medal for civil merit awarded to the flag of the State Police, for "the men and women of the State Police, demonstrating exemplary professional expertise, exceptional dedication and generous altruism, have done their utmost, with individual actions or collective work carried out in mountain surveillance areas and on the occasion of natural disasters, in the rescue of people in danger ... ".
Great emotion in the eyes of Alfano and Pansa in conferring the gold medal for civil valor to the deputy superintendent Luca Tanzi, to the deputy superintendent Mirko Pellino and to the assistants Gavino Chighine and Gavino Virdis and to the memory of the chosen agent Massimo Impieri.
Promotions for extraordinary merit were then conferred to the chosen agent Michele D'Aniello, to the deputy commissioners Domenico Conte and Vincenzo Leo, to the deputy commissioners Antonio Larosa and Roberto Dionisio, to the superior inspector Marco Antonio Russo and to the chief superintendents Ivano Gallo and Roberto De Cagno, the superior inspector Antonio De Vincentis, the deputy superintendent Antonino Terranova and the agent chosen by Martina Grimaldi, athlete of the Fiamme Oro sports groups.
The Police Day ended in the afternoon with the changing of the guard at the Quirinale and with the concert of the band of the State Police.
Monica Palermo
