Italian Army @ Operation Safe Streets!

via Italian Army Website.

Last night a man was arrested thanks to the intervention of the military because the Army surprised to peddle drugs in Naples. A patrol of the Regiment Cavalry Guide (19th) , serving as part of Operation "Safe Streets," has identified the person in the illegal intent in Piazza "Garibaldi" and proceeded to catch and identification.

The man, a homeless 43-year-old was found in possession of a large quantity of different narcotic substances.

The police intervened on the spot at the request of the military, he has proceeded to the arrest man on charges of possession of drugs with intent to sell. Through a constant and widespread presence, the military Operation "Safe Streets" garrison the territory and sensitive sites, in coordination with the Police to increase the level of safety of citizens. 

Wow. I didn't know the Italians had regular forces on the streets of their cities.  Operation Safe Streets has been going on for awhile now so this is not in response to the immigration crisis.  The Europeans have a tradition of militarized police but regular Army bubbas?  Who knew!  A bit more on Operation Safe Streets below.

Again via Italian Military Website.

Milan, the soldiers of the Italian Army, engaged in the operation "Safe Streets", have rescued an elderly person near Segrate (MI) and, in the center of Milan, blocked a drunk with harassing attitude toward bystanders .

The first intervention was in favor of an old man who wandered along the road between the idroscalo and the city center. The military, employed by Colonel Marco Cianfanelli, they noticed that the old man wandered disoriented in the dimly lit street and under the strong storm in place. evaluated the situation, military personnel decided to take action to prevent any kind of accident. The senior, in obvious confusion, was rescued by the Army patrol proceeded to warn the Police and family members.

The second intervention instead, has seen committed another Army patrol that has blocked, in C.so Garibaldi, a drunk guy of Polish nationality with clear violent attitudes toward bystanders. The soldiers stopped the young man as he was walking over some cars parked on the street and handed him over to the police who intervened on the spot.

Operation Safe Streets, from August 2008, he committed the Italian Army for crime prevention needs in metropolitan areas through supervisory activities at sensitive sites and goals, as well as reconnaissance and patrol, in competition and in combination with Police Forces.
Since mid-April, Brigadier General Claudio Rondano, reporting directly to the Command of the North Interregional Defense Forces, has assumed responsibility for the operation "Safe Streets" on the square of Milan, Monza and Brianza and directs the Santa Barbara barracks , home of the Horse Artillery Regiment, also all of the operations contributing to 'World Expo security.

Interesting.  I wondered how Italy has avoided many of the attacks we hear so much about in other European countries and this might be a partial answer.  For whatever reason they were prepped for the immigration crisis before it arrived.