About the Italian police
The Italian police are much more complex than the Japanese police.
On the streets, you will often see the “Carabinieri,” “Polizia,” and “Polizia Municipale” (or “Polizia Locale”) alongside police cars.
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri are the military police under the Ministry of Defence. They are also sometimes referred to as the gendarmerie.Their distinctive features are predominantly black uniforms with a red stripe and police vehicles
They trace their origins to the Sardinian Kingdom’s dragoon corps, established in 1814.
Polizia
Polizia is short for "Polizia di Stato", the national police force under the Ministry of the Interior.Its light-blue police vehicles are distinctive . It is sometimes also called the “regional police,” but in Japan, Italy’s "Regione" (region) is translated as “state,” which can cause confusion with the "Polizia Regionale" mentioned below. For this reason, “national police” seems the more appropriate translation.
It traces its origins to a security force of the Kingdom of Sardinia established in 1852.
The Carabinieri often carry out relatively dangerous duties, such as counterterrorism and dealing with crimes involving firearms, but their responsibilities are not completely separate from those of the Polizia. The emergency telephone numbers are also divided: the Carabinieri use “112” and the Polizia “113”, so ordinary citizens may not know which number to call in an emergency. This is a clear problem with the siloed administrative structure, but that unnecessary complexity is, in its own way, quintessentially Italian.
Local police
"Polizia Municipale" is the police force attached to a comune, meaning the local municipal government. Depending on the region, it is known by various names, including Polizia Locale, Polizia Comunale, Polizia Urbana, and Vigili Urbani. Its officers are not permitted to carry weapons and deal with relatively minor offenses. It is sometimes described as supporting the Polizia, but it is unclear how clearly this division of responsibilities is defined in practice.
There are also the province-level "Polizia Provinciale" and the region-level "Polizia Regionale". They are mainly involved in protecting the environment, including managing hunting and fishing rights.
From the national government down to the municipality, every level of the administrative hierarchy has its own police organization. Alongside compartmentalized administration, the problem of overlapping administration also appears to be deeply rooted.
Other Police Forces
The Italian police’s fragmented administrative structure extends beyond the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior.
The Polizia Penitenziaria is the prison police under the Ministry of Justice, responsible for tasks including prison administration and transporting prisoners.
There are also the Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza), under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the State Forestry Corps (Corpo forestale dello Stato), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
Carabinieri vehicles
Carabinieri Alfa Romeo 159
The Carabinieri are the military police under the Ministry of Defense. The “Batmobile”-style paint job looks really cool.
Carabinieri Alfa Romeo 156
This is the previous-generation “Batmobile.” It has its own distinctive style and a different kind of cool.
Carabinieri Fiat Ducato II
This is the 2nd-generation Fiat Ducato. Italian police forces make extensive use of vehicles from domestic manufacturers Alfa Romeo and Fiat.
These are the 4th-generation Land Rover Defender and Iveco Daily.
Iveco is one of Italy’s leading companies manufacturing and selling commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses, construction vehicles such as dump trucks, emergency vehicles such as fire engines, and military vehicles such as armored vehicles.
Polizia vehicles
Polizia Alfa Romeo 159
Polizia is the national police force under the Ministry of the Interior. The bonnet paint appears to be the same as on Carabinieri vehicles, but in different colors.
The black panther is the symbol of Polizia's traffic patrol unit.
Polizia Fiat Punto III
This is the 3rd-generation Fiat Punto. Perhaps it's on a break.
Local police vehicles
Polizia Locale Alfa Romeo 159
This is the City Police of Milan (Polizia Locale Comune di Milano).
Alfa Romeo is headquartered in Milan, and its emblem combines Milan’s symbol, the Cross of Saint George (the red cross), with the biscione (the serpent devouring a man), the coat of arms of the Visconti family that ruled Milan. As a car protecting Milan, nothing could be more fitting.
Polizia Locale Moto Guzzi Norge
Moto Guzzi is Italy’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer, headquartered in Mandello del Lario in the Province of Lecco, Lombardy. Milan is Lombardy’s capital, so it is interesting to see the region’s character reflected here as well.
The blond man is handsome.
Polizia Locale Fiat Punto III
Turin is the capital of Piedmont, where Barolo is located. Turin is home to the headquarters of Fiat, one of Italy’s leading automobile manufacturers. Fiat seems like a natural choice for a police vehicle in Barolo.
Polizia Locale Škoda Octavia II
It is the 2nd generation of the Škoda Octavia.
It is unclear why the Italian local police adopted a Czech car, but perhaps it simply offered excellent value for money.
Other Police Vehicles
The Polizia Penitenziaria is the prison police under the Ministry of Justice. They may be transporting prisoners.