82 arrested, 782 under investigation and over 348.000 people checked.

These are the results of the month of May of the activity of the State Police in railway stations and on trains

82 arrested, 782 suspects and 348.259 people controlled: this is the balance of the controls in the month of May by the railway police. 16.116 patrols engaged in stations and 2.947 on board the train, 1.043 anti-pocketing services, 221 foreigners tracked down in an irregular position and 143 unaccompanied minors tracked down by the staff of the Specialty and returned to their families or placed in the community.

From 9 to 15 May a week of extraordinary checks was carried out in the field of rail transport of dangerous goods. 47 checks carried out, 324 number of wagons inspected, 6 high complaints, 21.000 euros the total amount of the penalties applied.

Controls intensified also thanks to the extraordinary operations organized by the Railway Police Service throughout the country during the entire month, such as "Red Gold", "Rail Safe Day" and "Safe Stations". The fifth “Oro Rosso” day of 16 May, aimed at combating the phenomenon of copper theft in the railway sector, which saw 531 operators engaged in 150 patrolling services along the line and 57 on the road; over 2.045 people checked, 7 investigated and 234 inspected scrap yards. The “Rail Safe Day” operation of 24 May saw the presence and control of 635 “sensitive” locations throughout Italy, of which 519 stations, to prevent anomalous and incorrect behavior in the railway sector which often causes accidents. 62 the penalties applied by 1.385 Polfer operators. Finally, the fifth day of the "Safe stations" operation of 30 May last, aimed at checking people and baggage at the station, which saw 1.272 operators engaged in the stations concerned, over 3.195 baggage inspected, 13.490 people checked, one arrested and 31 investigated.

In particular, in Milan, a foreign citizen was arrested for the crime of improper robbery. An agent, free from duty, noticed the young man approach the travelers queuing at the automatic ticket machines of the central station and skillfully appropriate a backpack. When the policeman approached and qualified, the 40-year-old Algerian reacted violently by pushing him and struggling to avoid being arrested. At the end of a fight he was finally blocked and taken to the office.

During the "Oro Rosso" extraordinary operation, the staff of the Railway Police Department for Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta has seized an area within a metal recovery company, including its contents, as the owner , a 51-year-old Italian and one of his collaborators, a 54-year-old Egyptian, carried out hazardous waste management activities in the absence of the authorization title. The two men were sued for receiving stolen goods in competition and unauthorized self-demolition activities. The owner of the business was also administratively sanctioned for irregularities in the registers and documentation provided with a fine of over 4.000 euros.

Among the stories with a happy ending, the one that took place in Novara, where Polfer agents saved a 30-year-old Italian boy who had gone to the station with suicidal intentions. The young man was traced in a confused state to the center of the platform and, after a first moment in which he seemed to have calmed down, at the sight of the train entering the station he began to run towards it with the intention of jumping. Only the intervention of the police avoided the worst at the last minute. That of an 8-year-old child, of Libyan nationality, who moved away from home in the province of Naples and was found by the railway police officers alone on board a metropolitan train. After being refreshed and reassured by the policemen, the very young man was given back to his parents who were able to embrace him again.  

In Catania, “Febe”, a greyhound dog along the railway line, near the “Zurria” tunnel, was rescued by Polfer agents. The policemen, having learned the news of the dog's departure from the owner herself and having learned that the animal had been seen along the railway line, activated all the safety procedures, patrolling the railway station, managing to track it down and return it to the owner.

The meetings as part of the railway safety education campaign “Train… to be cool” continue, not only at schools but also during demonstrations and street events. The staff of the Railway Police, in May, was present at the XXXIV edition of the International Book Fair 2022 in Turin, alongside the Police Headquarters, the Traffic, Postal and Scientific Police. The event saw the agents of the Specialty engaged at the stand dedicated to the State Police, where they met families and visitors of all ages, making them aware, also through slides and videos, of the adoption of responsible and safe behaviors for their own and the safety of others.

82 arrested, 782 under investigation and over 348.000 people checked.