Italian police to stop driving Mafia Ferraris and Porsches
Crime fighting in Italy is set to become less glamorous for police after the government announced it was scrapping the use of luxury cars seized from Mafia Godfathers because of high running costs.
By Nick Pisa in Rome
Published: 7:15AM BST 07 Sep 2009
Detectives will now no longer be allowed to get behind the Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati or Porsche in that has been confiscated from crime chiefs and return to their standard issue Fiat and Alfa Romeo.
Last year in a high profile initiative Italy's Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said that all luxury cars seized from criminals would be used by the country's police force.
Launching the programme he sat at the wheel of a bright yellow Ferrari 512 that had belonged to a gangster, which had been fitted with a police number plate and said: "Officers will now use cars such as these, where previously Mafia types were at the wheel, to show that the climate has changed.'' But now in a U turn the government has announced that they can no longer afford to allow police forces to use the luxury cars because running costs and spare parts are too expensive.
In a statement the logistics section of the Department of Public Security said: "In order to keep costs to a minimum all police vehicles will now have to be limited to 2.5 litre engines, all luxury cars above that size that have been seized will no longer be used and will instead be kept in judicial custody.''
Italian media said that it was the "end of the Miami Vice'' era and recalled how in 1960s Rome, to keep up with La Dolce Vita, the chief of the flying squad had been the only officer in the country allowed to have a Ferrari.
The seizing of luxury cars during raids by police on Mafia bosses, drugs and arms traffickers, is common and following operations they are put on display for TV and newspapers, to show that crime does not pay.
Political opponents of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi jumped on the change of policy, with Laura Garavini, of the Democratic Left anti Mafia group, said: "What an embarrassment. This is a prime example of how the government is working.
"On one hand they make this grand announcements to enchant the public, saying how they will use luxury cars seized from Mafia bosses, then from the other hand there is no money available.
"Instead of talking about Ferraris and Porches the government would do better to spend some money and ensure the police can use their Fiat cars as best they can.'' Franco Maccari, secretary of the COISP, a police union, also criticised the cuts and said: "Those cars seized from the Mafia allowed investigating officers to go beyond the 180kph limit of their standard issue squad cars and pursue their enquiries.''
While Bruno Letizia, of the Association of Police Officers, said: "We suggest that all these luxury cars seized from criminals should be sold and the money raised directed back into police operations.''
According to motoring websites it costs around £40,000 a year to run a Ferrari. Maserati or Lamborghini.
For that amount Italian police could pick up two top of the range Fiat Bravas which are the usual standard issue squad car.
Crime fighting in Italy is set to become less glamorous for police after the government announced it was scrapping the use of luxury cars seized from Mafia Godfathers because of high running costs.
By Nick Pisa in Rome
Published: 7:15AM BST 07 Sep 2009
Detectives will now no longer be allowed to get behind the Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati or Porsche in that has been confiscated from crime chiefs and return to their standard issue Fiat and Alfa Romeo.
Last year in a high profile initiative Italy's Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said that all luxury cars seized from criminals would be used by the country's police force.
Launching the programme he sat at the wheel of a bright yellow Ferrari 512 that had belonged to a gangster, which had been fitted with a police number plate and said: "Officers will now use cars such as these, where previously Mafia types were at the wheel, to show that the climate has changed.'' But now in a U turn the government has announced that they can no longer afford to allow police forces to use the luxury cars because running costs and spare parts are too expensive.
In a statement the logistics section of the Department of Public Security said: "In order to keep costs to a minimum all police vehicles will now have to be limited to 2.5 litre engines, all luxury cars above that size that have been seized will no longer be used and will instead be kept in judicial custody.''
Italian media said that it was the "end of the Miami Vice'' era and recalled how in 1960s Rome, to keep up with La Dolce Vita, the chief of the flying squad had been the only officer in the country allowed to have a Ferrari.
The seizing of luxury cars during raids by police on Mafia bosses, drugs and arms traffickers, is common and following operations they are put on display for TV and newspapers, to show that crime does not pay.
Political opponents of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi jumped on the change of policy, with Laura Garavini, of the Democratic Left anti Mafia group, said: "What an embarrassment. This is a prime example of how the government is working.
"On one hand they make this grand announcements to enchant the public, saying how they will use luxury cars seized from Mafia bosses, then from the other hand there is no money available.
"Instead of talking about Ferraris and Porches the government would do better to spend some money and ensure the police can use their Fiat cars as best they can.'' Franco Maccari, secretary of the COISP, a police union, also criticised the cuts and said: "Those cars seized from the Mafia allowed investigating officers to go beyond the 180kph limit of their standard issue squad cars and pursue their enquiries.''
While Bruno Letizia, of the Association of Police Officers, said: "We suggest that all these luxury cars seized from criminals should be sold and the money raised directed back into police operations.''
According to motoring websites it costs around £40,000 a year to run a Ferrari. Maserati or Lamborghini.
For that amount Italian police could pick up two top of the range Fiat Bravas which are the usual standard issue squad car.
