In the barracks of the Carabinieri in Naples and its province, there comes a moment when numbers cease to be mere statistics and transform into poignant human narratives. This often happens when a woman crosses the threshold, frequently after years of silence, untold violence, and paralyzing fear.
The Unseen Victories: Aiding the Vulnerable
“She doesn’t just bring a complaint; she brings a piece of her life,” explains Captain Valentina Bianchin, commander of the Casoria Company, specializing in combating gender-based violence. This issue, as highlighted by a recent femicide in Cava de’ Tirreni, transcends geographical boundaries. “Our task is to mend, protect, listen without judgment, and act without hesitation,” Bianchin continues. “The most emotional moment is when you sense that ‘she no longer feels alone.’ It’s then that you understand you’re not just performing a technical duty, but a job with deeply human implications. And when one of them writes to you months later, just to say ‘I’m better,’ well… that’s our true victory.”
This profound human element is central to the Provincial Carabinieri Command’s 2025 summary: a focus on protecting the most vulnerable, on a security that prioritizes listening, protection, and presence.
The Lifeline of 112: More Than Just Calls
Such responses are echoed in the calls received by the 112 operational center, a vital hub for thousands of citizens’ pleas for help. The lines receive an average of over 3,200 calls within a 24-hour period. Reflecting on the tireless work of the operators behind the headsets, Marshal Major Bonaccorso states, “When the phone rings, you don’t know if it’s a lonely elderly person, a scared child, a woman, or a family in danger. You listen, you perceive their difficulties and distress, and in a few seconds, you must understand what is truly needed. It’s a job of the mind, certainly, but also of the heart. The most challenging part is remaining clear-headed while the patrol reaches those in need. And when a colleague reports: ‘Arrived in time.’ That phrase is worth more than any statistic.”
The Numbers Game: Arrests, Denunciations, and the Human Factor
Then there are the numbers, and they are significant. In the year just concluded, the Naples Carabinieri arrested 3,495 individuals and reported 13,295. Twenty-one fugitives were apprehended, many of whom were on ministerial lists and tracked down abroad. Over 424,000 people were identified, and 233,000 vehicles were inspected. Yet, as General Biagio Storniolo, the Provincial Commander, emphasizes, “the data has its weight, of course. But what truly makes the difference are the people: often silent professionals, far from the spotlight, without whom no mechanism would function.”
This commitment extends to new forms of criminality. From the web, where the Investigative Unit – Cyber Section – reconstructs hidden plots behind fake profiles and IP addresses, to the 112 operational rooms, receiving an average of over 3,200 calls daily.
Combating Crime: Drugs, Weapons, and Road Safety
On the front of prevention and repression, 2025 also marks significant results in the fight against drugs, with hundreds of arrests and tons of narcotics seized, and in combating the spread of weapons: 189 firearms, 141 bladed weapons, and 374 improvised weapons removed from circulation. Maximum attention was also paid to road safety: over 25,000 traffic violations and more than 21 million euros in fines for the most serious infractions.
Environmental protection in the ‘Terra dei Fuochi’ remains central, with coordinated action involving forest Carabinieri, police forces, the army, and the prefecture. Similarly, the commitment of bomb disposal experts, who have been central in recent weeks with stringent controls on pyrotechnic materials: from Pollena Trocchia to Cimitile, seizures and suspensions of irregular activities to prevent announced tragedies. Lieutenant Gaetano Savarese comments on their dedication: “When we arrive at a suspicious device, the noise around us disappears. What remains is silence, concentration, and the responsibility of knowing that the safety of many people depends on every action. There is no margin for error. It’s a job that requires continuous technical preparation, but above all, mental balance.”
The Silent Work: Forensic Investigations and Organized Crime
There is also the silent work behind violent crimes. Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Peluso, commander of the scientific investigations section of the Naples investigative unit, notes: “The crime scene speaks, but it speaks softly. You have to bend down, observe, enter into a logic that leaves no room for haste. A fingerprint, a fiber, an extra element: every detail can change the story before you. Many think it’s a job from a TV show; in reality, it’s made of endless hours in silence, cold lights, and reasoning that must fit together perfectly. But when an investigation closes thanks to a tiny fragment that only you noticed… well, you understand why you do it. It’s like completing a puzzle that no one sees, but which is worth justice.”
A decisive chapter is that of combating organized crime. Under the coordination of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate, the Carabinieri have struck at the main clans active in the capital and metropolitan area: from the Licciardi clan, with 21 arrests on December 2nd, to groups in Nola and the Nola area, and operations in Caivano, Ponticelli, and San Giovanni a Teduccio.
“The fight against mafias,” Storniolo reminds us, “is not just about large numbers, but about long, complex investigations that restore spaces of freedom to honest citizens.”
In the background, behind every operation, remain the faces: those who listen to a plea for help, those who silently reconstruct a crime scene, those who defuse a device or rebuild a life shattered by violence. It is there, perhaps, the deepest meaning of this report: a security that is not just repression, but daily social reassurance. And a State that, even in the most difficult places, continues to make its presence felt.
Source: https://napoli.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/25_dicembre_22/carabinieri-il-bilancio-del-2025-a-napoli-vicini-a-chi-soffre-non-farli-sentire-soli-e-la-nostra-vittoria-ac12691a-42ac-45f8-99d7-3581ac4f0xlk.shtml
