The Italian Police conducted a total of 6,965,247 checks in 2023, resulting in 102,922 people being reported and 18,944 arrests made. These are some of the main statistics released on the occasion of the 172nd anniversary of the Police Force. Over 1.2 million patrol interventions, both for emergency response and public assistance, were carried out, averaging one every two and a half minutes. These numbers from the 2023 activity report of the State Police’s operational rooms accurately reflect the daily work of the 99,137 officers who make up the Force.
The State Police’s operational rooms handled a total of 4,857,170 calls to the emergency number, coordinating a total of 1,270,275 interventions by patrol units for emergency response and public assistance. These figures highlight the extensive work carried out by the State Police throughout the year. The report also showed an increase of 15% in voluntary homicides between 2020 and 2023, rising from 287 to 329 cases. The number of female victims remained stable at 119 last year, similar to four years prior. There was a decrease of 5% in homicides committed within the family/relationship context, with a 9% decrease in women killed by their partners or ex-partners.
In terms of cybercrime, the National Cybercrime Information Protection Centre handled 632 cyber-attacks on critical national infrastructure, initiated 79 cooperation requests within the High Tech Crime Emergency system, launched 96 investigations, and interrogated 98 individuals. Prevention efforts included issuing 77,012 alerts. The National Operational Cyber Security Units coordinated the management of 11,469 attacks on critical infrastructure, essential service operators, private individuals, and companies, leading to the interrogation of 126 individuals. In the realm of cyberterrorism, 51 individuals were investigated for activities related to religious and political extremism.
In 2023, Italy saw a significant increase in irregular migration via the Mediterranean, with 157,651 irregular migrants arriving through various routes after 3,592 landing events. The influx of migrants has been steadily increasing since 2021, reversing the previous declining trend from 2017 to 2019. The peak in arrivals was recorded in August 2023, with 25,673 migrants landing, averaging 828.16 arrivals per day. Most migrants came from Tunisia, Libya, Turkey, Algeria, Lebanon, and Cyprus, with Sicily and Calabria being the most affected regions. A total of 28,983 enforcement actions were taken against foreign and EU citizens for removal from Italian territory in 2023.
Regarding repatriations, there were 4,368 individuals who required a police escort for their return to their respective countries, with 81% flown out and the rest transported via charter flights. In collaboration with FRONTEX and other EU member states, 106 charter flights were conducted in 2023. The year prior, there were 110 charter flights carrying 2,724 foreigners, predominantly Tunisians. Sixteen individuals with links to religious or nationalist terrorism/extremism were arrested in 2023, with 77 others repatriated for posing a national security threat. These individuals were subject to various removal measures issued by different authorities for reasons relating to state security and judicial concerns.
