91TVÓ°Ôº

Policing is one of the core functions of the modern state, especially in democratic systems where the use of force must be aligned with the protection of individual rights. However, the institutional architecture of policing often reflects conservative logics that resist democratic reform. This is particularly evident in Italy, where two forces—the State Police and the Arma dei Carabinieri (a military force)—share the main responsibility for internal order. A reform law in 1981 was meant to democratise policing, but it remained incomplete. This seminar presents findings from the nationally funded research project “Repolity: Reforming Police Accountability in Italy”, supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. The project investigates the legal and institutional framework of police accountability in Italy, focusing on its persistent weaknesses and the challenges of aligning it with democratic principles. It will present an analysis of the existing legal mechanisms for accountability, along with an initial assessment of the data collected during the empirical research. Particular attention will be given to the difficulty in accessing data—which, in other legal systems, are routinely made public as a basic requirement of transparency and accountability. This lack of accessibility not only highlights the practical inadequacy of the existing accountability mechanisms in Italy but also reveals a deeper lack of an accountability culture, which continues to hinder both institutional recognition and public awareness of the issue.