The security decree has been published in the Official Journal and will enter into force tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25. The measure, approved by the Council of Ministers on February 5, is composed of 33 articles and contains "urgent provisions regarding public safety, judicial investigations in the presence of justified causes, the effectiveness of the police force and the Ministry of the Interior, as well as immigration and international protection."

The document by which the prosecutor will proceed with the investigation of a crime committed "in the presence of a justifiable cause" will be called a "preliminary annotation." However, in the event of an evidentiary hearing, the person will be entered into the register of suspects. This is the so-called "shield" contained in the security decree, which, twenty days after its approval by the Council of Ministers on February 5th, was approved by the General Accounting Office and signed by President Sergio Mattarella.

After a series of technical tweaks and redactions, the final text is finally here. Some changes, compared to the pre-CDM drafts, concern the other provision strongly contested by the opposition, the preventive detention to prevent suspected violent offenders from participating in street demonstrations: it will only be triggered "in the presence of a current threat to public order and safety."

The €50 million fund to combat crime on the railway network has also been cut, and funding for urban security measures has been reduced (€48 million, for 2026 alone). Regarding the "shield," "a technical filter prior to formal registration on Form 21, i.e., the register of suspects," as Deputy Minister of Justice Francesco Paolo Sisto calls it , the decree requires the Minister of Justice to update the Code of Criminal Procedure within 60 days by introducing the form for preliminary annotations.

The registration (which should last up to a maximum of 150 days) guarantees equal rights and guarantees to those registered as suspects. If they are subsequently registered as suspects, the preliminary investigation period begins from the date of registration. Among the measures to combat street violence, preventive detention consists of accompanying and detaining suspects for up to 12 hours at public security stations for investigation, with immediate notification to the prosecutor, who orders their release unless there are grounds for danger to public order.

Part of the government's strategy, which placed security at the top of its 2026 priorities, the decree was passed following a series of high-profile news events. These included the violence at the Askatasuna march in Turin and the Rogoredo incident, for which Elly Schlein is now urging Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini to "apologize to the family of the murdered man, to the judges, and to law enforcement" after "throwing themselves into exploiting a tragic event."

There were lengthy discussions with the Quirinale regarding the decree, and after its approval by the Council of Ministers, the provisions were examined by the Treasury, particularly regarding increases in police force staff.

Ultimately, two special competitions are planned, one for 1,800 senior inspector positions in the State Police in 2026, and another for 2,400 in 2027. Spending of €7.6 million is authorized for 2027, €4.8 million for 2035, and €4.8 million annually for overtime for officers from 2028 to 2034, and starting in 2036. Urban security interventions will be covered by €20 million through a reduction in the Local Police Reform Fund, €25 million from the Revolving Fund for Solidarity with Victims of Mafia, Extortion, and Usury, and €3 million from the "Reserve and Special Funds" program. The €50 million envisioned in the drafts for strengthening technological systems for monitoring railway networks is missing, but injuries to train conductors and onboard inspectors, as well as teachers, principals, and referees, will be treated as equivalent to injuries to public officials. The crackdown on edged weapons is confirmed, including a ban on sales to minors and administrative sanctions for parents of minors who violate it. Unlike the drafts, however, the approved text does not require registration of sales.

(Unioneonline)

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