Local police in trouble in Ragusa according to the Democratic Party: "Corrective measures are necessary"

The council group of the Democratic Party in the Municipality of Ragusa, composed of the group leader Peppe Calabrese and councilors Mario Chiavola and Giuseppe Podimani, addresses the condition of the Local Police following the statement released by the trade unions the day after the staff assembly on March 6.

According to the complaints made by the workers' representatives, the Corps operates in an extremely burdensome context: organizational deficiencies, obsolete fleet, insufficient operational equipment, delays in the payment of additional allowances, malfunctions of IT systems, and critical issues at service locations.

“The situation described by the trade unions is one that cannot be minimized or ignored. We are talking about a fundamental presence for the safety and legality of the city that deserves attention, respect, and adequate working conditions,” states the Democratic group leader Peppe Calabrese.

Among the issues raised is also the protection of older operators. During the discussion of the new Local Police regulation, the PD had presented an amendment to allow, on a voluntary basis, those over 60 to be exempt from the most burdensome external services. “It was a simple, sensible, and administratively civilized proposal, which unfortunately the administration chose not to accept. Today that same need is forcefully returning in the workers' requests and demonstrates how appropriate it would have been to listen to those indications in a timely manner,” continues Calabrese.

The critical issues also concern the safety of personnel, training, equipment, and even the condition of the premises and vehicles in use, some of which have over twenty years of service.

It is also concerning that such significant communication, addressed among others to the council group leaders, has not been formally transmitted to the groups of the City Council. “This is an aspect that cannot be underestimated, because the proper functioning of institutions also depends on the respect for the prerogatives of the City Council. On this point, we believe a clarification from the President of the Council is necessary,” the group leader further observes.

To this picture, according to the PD, is added a choice by the executive deemed "inadequate and illogical": employing personnel from the Municipal Police to compensate for the lack of volunteers at the Castello di Donnafugata. "Assigning Local Police officers to manage other organizational shortages of the administration means taking precious resources away from services in the territory, further weakening a Corps that is already working under difficult conditions. This is not the way to structurally solve the problems," emphasizes Calabrese.

The trade unions have already requested the establishment of a technical table to address the issues that have emerged. For the Democratic Party's council group, the Municipality must immediately follow up on the request. "The technical table must be convened immediately and must serve to identify concrete solutions, not to buy time. Ignoring the signs of distress coming from the staff would mean taking on the responsibility of pushing the Corps towards a state of agitation that no one hopes for but that risks becoming inevitable," concludes Calabrese.

For the PD, the Local Police is an essential safeguard for the safety and proper functioning of the city and must be put in a position to operate at its best. "The city of Ragusa deserves an efficient, respected, and adequately supported Local Police. Serious decisions and immediate interventions are needed."