"Always being there": this was the theme that accompanied today's emotional 174th anniversary of the founding of the Italian State Police, celebrated on two separate occasions: first in Cagliari in front of the Police Headquarters on Via Amat and then at the Teatro Centrale in Piazza Roma, Carbonia.
A commemoration of the 2,555 fallen members of the State Police was held in Cagliari, with a tribute from Police Commissioner Rosanna Lavezzaro, who, in the presence of Prefect Paola Dessì, laid a laurel wreath before the monument dedicated to them. The Teatro Centrale, following the guard of honor in Piazza Roma in Carbonia, then hosted the ceremony, attended by the highest civil, military, and religious authorities and a delegation of students from the schools of Carbonia and Iglesias. The memory of the fallen escort officers with Giovanni Falcone, Francesca Morvillo, and Paolo Borsellino was particularly moving: President Mattarella awarded them the Gold Medal for Civil Merit to the Flag of the State Police.
On stage, there was a moving remembrance of those who lived through those terrible days, during which Sardinia also paid the price with the sacrifice of an officer from Sestu, Emanuela Loi, who was part of Paolo Borsellino's security detail. In Carbonia, there is even a school, the IPIA, named in her memory. Applause and emotion also erupted at numerous moments, highlighting the importance of the State Police's presence in the lives of citizens, a presence that always puts their safety and well-being first. The commendations and honors bestowed during the ceremony served to recall the most significant operations completed in recent years thanks to the commitment and dedication of so many men and women in uniform. The ceremony concluded with the younger generations paying tribute to the State Police through a moving short film.