ITALIAN POLICE VIEW
The sight of an Italian police officer in uniform in Sligo is a rare one indeed but Anna Lisa Mongiorgi wasn’t here to arrest anyone but merely to observe.
Anna Lisa is a Chief Superintendent based with Polizia Stradale in Udinese was spent the past week in Sligo as part of an exchange programme.
Garda Luke Gray stationed in Sligo had already spent a week in Italy.
Chief Superintendent Mongiorgi involved herself in all aspects of policing while in Sligo, joining the Gardaí as they went about their daily duties from normal patrols to traffic duties.
The exchange is part of CEPOL programme which is an agency of the European Union dedicated to develop, implement and coordinate training for law enforcement officials and was established in 2015.
Chief Supt Mongiorgi will submit a report to the agency on her visit to Sligo.
One of the more obvious differences in policing in this country which she noticed is the fact An Garda Siochana is responsible for all aspects of law enforcement.
This is unlike in Italy and most other European countries where there are several different police forces.
These are often transport police, crime police, border police, airport and sea police and community police forces along with dedicated traffic police.
The ranking structure is similar to Italy’s police force says Anna Lisa who joined her country’s police academy at 18, completing her training and has been working now for some 25 years. She can retire after 37 years of service.
“I learned a lot of very interesting things while here with the Gardaí. I was able to observe the organisation from within and outside the office, their daily duties, working hours.
“I have been out on patrol with them and also when they have been performing traffic duties and checkpoints.
“It has been interesting to see how they operate different legislation with regard to traffic laws than in Italy,” she says.
For instance, in Italy anyone suspected of drink or drug driving is processed at the side of the road with a doctor on hand to perform drug testing and the officers having a mobile intoxiliser machine with them. In Ireland the driver is arrested, more than likely after a road side breath test and is brought to a Garda Station where another breath test is carried out within three hours of driving on an intoxiliser.
If the arrested driver has a particular medical difficulty then a doctor has to be called to carry out a blood test or alternatively a urine sample is provided and which are then sent for analysis to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety in Dublin.
Anna Lisa has also been with Sligo Garda as they responded to various other crimes such as dealing with illegal drugs .
“It’s been really good observing how they deal with all of these issues here in Sligo not only in the city but also in country areas.
“I have a good idea now how the Garda operate and I’ve seen a small piece of Ireland too,” she says.
Another aspect of policing in Ireland she has noticed is the fact that community policing plays such an important role.
She was complimentary of the way in which Gardaí interact with members of the public on a daily basis.
Gardaí are well known and respected and she says this is a real asset to the force.
The Italian police chief paid a visit to Sligo District Court last Thursday to view at first hand our judicial system.