Interior ministry sources said Friday that a 'rationalization' of the 585 security details currently being run for people considered in need of protection will start soon. The sources said this issue was addressed at a meeting of the national public order and security committee on Thursday.
Interior Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini wants to run appraisals of the protection granted to prevent abuses and the waste of public money, but in a way that avoids errors, according to the sources. At the moment 2,072 members of Italy's various police forces are engaged in providing security escorts. Salvini said that all people in real danger will be guarded when asked about the possibility that protection could be taken away from anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano, a vocal critic of the government and of the minister. "I do not allow myself to look at the names and surnames of the security escorts," League leader Salvini said.
"I just asked the officials to think about revising some of these 600 protection details.
"We are the European country with the most security details, the one that spends the most money on this, that invests the most manpower.
"There will be those who deserve a bigger escort and more attention.
"Then, if there are some who have used the State or Carabinieri police officers as chauffeurs for 10 to 15 years, they can go without".
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