Italy, raised the level of security in ports – Il Sole 24 Ore

After airports, stations and subways ferrovarie shoot even in ports the terror alert. Since yesterday, the Coast Guard has raised the security measures in Italian ports for the cruise and passenger traffic “level two” (on a scale from one to three). In practice the maximum: over there is just the level that is triggered in case of attack. A rise due not to a specific alarm, but the need to increase the attention given the international situation and the busiest period provided at the airports. We are on the eve of the August Bank Holiday departures and cracking down on controls that are already in operation will result, most likely, the lengthening of waiting for embarkation. The new alarm did think of an increased risk associated with recent events such as the offensive against Isis. But from counter intelligence and arrived by now confirmed that there are no concrete elements that could be considered an imminent attack.

The head of the Franco Gabrielli Police wanted to clarify the meaning of the provision: “The increase in the level made by the Coast Guard does not have anything to do with the situation in Libya.” “The measure – has clarified the number one of the police – was the result of a recent meeting of the Interministerial Committee in its restricted form the Maritime Safety and ports, in which the various parties have made the decision, for the overall context that we living, to raise the levels of controls. ”

Anyway, it is from 14 November 2015, the day after the Paris attacks, which Italy has led to the alert level 2 later confirmed after the March attacks in Brussels. In circulars sent in recent weeks, in addition, the Interior Ministry had already ordered a strengthening of “static” measures and controls on passengers, including by increasing the plainclothes personnel to identify suspicious, aware that in August ports, airports and stations are exposed to greater risk, given the high number of appearances in the structures.

Since yesterday – after the note sent by the General Commander Vincenzo Melon to all the Harbour – is thus triggered the device that provides as more checks at port entrances (where they enter only vehicles with ticket) , a higher percentage of vehicles and passengers screened – which should rise from 25% of the level 1 to a maximum of 50% of the level 2 – and more accurate monitoring of all areas of the airports. Measures that affect only the cruise ships and the passengers, not goods. Each port must now adapt their security plans, already adopted by several time and for each port of call, to the new provisions. The checks will be primarily with the so-called “autoperquisizione”: passengers, in practice, will have to show what they carry in suitcases and in the trunk of their cars. They will also be used hand-held metal detector. The alert 2 then calls into question the terminal operators of the airports that are obliged to increase the number of operators carrying out security checks.

“We must all be aware that we live in a threat, we can be and goal of this threat – he added Gabrielli – But that does not mean we have to change our lives. ”

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