Crackdown on ‘maranza’: local police will also be able to carry out preventive detention
The first measures to tackle youth gangs were included in the security decree, which received final approval from the Chamber of Deputies in April
Key points
The draft bill security bill could return to the Council of Ministers today with some minor amendments. A technical-legislative meeting is scheduled for this morning before the text is tabled before the ministers for approval. Among the options under consideration is a further crackdown on illegal fishing with the possibility of extending it to the local police, in certain circumstances, the power to carry out preventive decree.
Piantedosi: work is under way on the final touches to the Security Bill
Confirmation came from the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi: “Today we will probably discuss – we need to fine-tune it over the next few hours – a measure that has already undergone an initial review by the Council of Ministers.” He added: “It is a draft bill; there are also other provisions. As the discussion on this measure drew to a close, it became clear that some fine-tuning and finalisation were needed. You’ve already touched on some of these points; let’s see. We’ll be meeting in the coming hours at Palazzo Chigi specifically to finalise the various provisions.”
Measures to tackle ‘baby gangs’
The first measures against youth gangs were contained in the security decree, approved by the Council of Ministers on 5 February, which received final approval from the Chamber of Deputies in April. Among the measures introduced by that decree was already a crackdown on ‘maranza’: anyone carrying a knife of at least 8 centimetres outside their home without a valid reason faces a prison sentence of between six months and three years. If the offence takes place on trains or buses, an aggravating circumstance applies. For blades under 5 cm, no justification is required, thanks to an exemption pushed through by the centre-right in the Senate. The sale of knives to minors is punishable by fines ranging from 500 to 3,000 euros for shopkeepers.
