The Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto has announced a significant enhancement of the Strade Sicure operation, with the introduction of about 12,000 auxiliary Carabinieri aimed at strengthening the internal security presence on the national territory.
The announcement came through a video published by the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, during a visit to the military personnel engaged in the security of the Milano Rogoredo station, one of the sensitive points monitored as part of the operation.
Overcoming the current Strade Sicure model
The initiative is part of a path already outlined by Minister Crosetto: gradually replacing the current contingent of about 6,800 military personnel employed in Strade Sicure with auxiliary personnel from the Arma dei Carabinieri, modernly restoring a figure that disappeared with the end of compulsory military service in 2005.
The stated goal is twofold:
- strengthen urban and infrastructural security,
- free up operational resources of the Armed Forces, which are increasingly engaged in international scenarios and high-intensity tasks.
Voluntary reserve and specialized skills
During the question time in the Chamber on January 28, Crosetto clarified the strategic vision behind the project, linking it to the broader revision of the national defense model.
Alongside the increase in professional staff, the ministry is developing the concept of a voluntary reserve, in line with what is already happening in many allied countries. A modern and flexible reserve, composed of citizens capable of providing the State with skills that are crucial today:
- cybersecurity,
- digital technologies,
- space,
- artificial intelligence.
To this reserve, the minister explained, contingents of auxiliary personnel would be added, recruited particularly within the Arma dei Carabinieri, with tasks supporting internal security.
A reform to meet the country's needs
The number of auxiliary Carabinieri – about 12,000 – represents a concrete indication of the direction taken by the government. A choice aimed at specializing functions, reducing the improper use of the military tool in public order contexts, and making the system more consistent with the country's real needs.
Crosetto also confirmed that the comprehensive Defense reform is in an advanced stage of development: the draft law will reach the Council of Ministers by March. A Strategic Committee is working on it, tasked with building a clear and structured proposal, which will then be submitted to Parliament.
A paradigm shift
The project marks a possible paradigm shift in the management of internal security: less direct use of the Armed Forces in prolonged urban security tasks and more integration between reserves, auxiliary personnel, and military police forces.
A choice that, if confirmed in the reform, could permanently redefine the role of Strade Sicure and the overall balance of the defense tool between internal needs and international commitments.
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