A guarded Easter. After last Friday's attack in Moscow claimed by the Isis-K group, Italy has also decided to raise the security level to the maximum (already raised after the massacre carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7). In response to the directives sent by the Ministry of the Interior to all prefectures, the provincial committee for public order and safety increased patrols and presences around the so-called "high-risk targets" during the Easter holidays.
Next week, the army contingent will also arrive in the city as part of the "Safe Roads" operation to patrol mainly the "high-risk areas," Campo Marzo in the first place. At the committee, chaired by Prefect Salvatore Caccamo, the top police authorities, Mayor Giacomo Possamai accompanied by the local police commander, and representatives of the Municipalities of Bassano del Grappa and Asiago, the main tourist destinations along with the capital, participated.
"The prefect convened a meeting of the committee because the Ministry of the Interior has given instructions to strengthen surveillance for terrorism alert in all sensitive points, especially in view of the Easter weekend," Possamai emphasized at the end of the meeting held at the prefecture. "So there will be an enhancement of surveillance, in this case, at the sanctuary of Monte Berico for religious activity, in all gathering places in the city, in Bassano, and in Asiago, that is, the other two most touristy municipalities, because it is believed that there is the highest concentration of people." Specifically, the committee decided to plan services of both uniformed and plainclothes police "with the priority objective of guaranteeing adequate levels of security calibrated both in relation to the terrorist threat and to phenomena of widespread crime," as stated in the prefecture's note. "In this perspective, together with the usual public order measures, specific security measures have been envisaged for the locations where shrines and churches are located where particularly popular religious ceremonies will take place."
In the list of sensitive targets, US military sites and institutional headquarters were obviously included. Even more thorough checks will be carried out at the Campo Marzo funfair and in all the places in the province hosting events where a significant number of participants is expected.
Considering the traditional increase in traffic volume during the Easter holidays, the committee also ordered reinforcement of surveillance and control services by the highway police along the highways and main arteries of ordinary traffic. Special attention will also be paid to rest areas and service areas on the A4 and A31. Finally, measures will be intensified to protect public order and safety also "through activities of verification and inspections of places and sites at risk," concludes the note.
The committee also announced the arrival date of the army troops destined for Vicenza for "Safe Roads." The contingent will be operational from next Tuesday to assist territorial law enforcement.
(GdV, mercoledì 27 marzo)