A Military Order? Recruitment and Training of Police Forces After the Reform (1981–2021)

• In Event: Police and social change in Italy: empirical perspectives

Abstract

The Italian police system has historically been characterized by the presence of gendarmerie-type forces, with all police units operating under a military structure and organization for much of the 20th century. The 1981 reform sought to break from this tradition by demilitarizing one of the two main police forces and granting officers certain trade union rights. More than forty years after the reform, our empirical study reveals a subtle yet persistent trend toward remilitarization. This phenomenon is most evident in the increasing involvement of the armed forces in public order operations but also emerges through more discreet dynamics, such as recruitment policies and officer training. In light of these developments, it can be argued that the Italian police are evolving toward a model with a strong military imprint—an evolution that, in many respects, appears to be at odds with constitutional principles.

Authors

• Michele Di Giorgio, University of Bari

• Giuseppe Campesi, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’