by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interview: Caterina de Gavardo – Trieste City Councilor for Public Security
The specialized anti-violence unit of the Trieste Municipal Police reported 98 people to judicial authorities in 2026, according to figures presented Thursday by city officials.
The unit, known as the Unit for Combating Violence, Stalking and Abuse (NCVSA), recorded 102 reports between Jan. 1 and Oct. 28, including 50 submitted by residents and 52 referred by other municipal services or police patrols.
The figures were presented by Caterina de Gavardo, the city councilor for public security, alongside Deputy Commissioner Giuliano Crechici and Inspector Susanna Perini.
During the same period, the unit submitted 114 reports to judicial authorities, obtained eight personal precautionary measures and made one arrest. It also handled 45 cases involving hygiene and sanitary conditions.
Established in March 2020 within the Municipal Police’s judicial investigation division, the NCVSA specializes in cases involving vulnerable people, including women, children and older adults. Its work includes investigations into sexual violence, stalking, child abuse, domestic violence, exploitation of vulnerable individuals and the abandonment of minors or people unable to care for themselves.
The unit has four officers, including an inspector and three agents. Its creation was intended to strengthen the city’s response to Italy’s 2019 Codice Rosso legislation, which introduced faster procedures and priority protections for victims of domestic and gender-based violence.
Beyond investigations, the unit has expanded its role in professional training. In 2026, its officers delivered 80 hours of instruction to municipal employees and other public-sector workers.
The program included a 12-hour course for newly recruited municipal police officers and 16 four-hour sessions for approximately 900 employees and educators working in the city’s educational services. A further four-hour course for about 100 municipal social services employees was scheduled for December.
De Gavardo said the increase in reports and referrals to judicial authorities reflected greater public awareness of the importance of reporting abuse and seeking assistance, as well as growing confidence in the Municipal Police.
She said the unit worked alongside other law enforcement agencies to respond to cases involving violence and vulnerable individuals.
