Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,
Eighty percent of Milan’s predatory crimes are committed by foreigners, Police Commissioner Bruno Megale told a parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday, outlining what he described as the city’s most pressing public-order challenge.
Speaking before the commission on suburban issues, Megale said 830 arrests for predatory crimes, such as robbery, were made in the first nine months of 2025, with one in five involving minors. He described residents having “a widespread sense of insecurity,” but suggested that overall crime was down and arrests had increased so far this year.
Megale was speaking ahead of Milan’s hosting of the Winter Olympics, which begins in February.
“We’re heading towards the Olympics, an event that will draw international attention. All eyes will be on Milan, especially in the days leading up to the inaugurations, and so we’re paying very close attention, with careful monitoring and planning,” he told the inquiry, as cited by Milano Today.
The police commissioner announced that the northern Italian city will receive more than 2,000 additional law enforcement officers to reinforce security, particularly around key venues and public spaces.
Megale noted a concerning rise in youths committing offenses, including the “maranza” phenomenon, which involves youth gangs who embark on anti-social behavior that may not meet the threshold of criminality but still affects day-to-day lives.
“We’re somewhat concerned about the glorification of their activities through social media,” he added.
The remarks come as Milan once again ranked last in Italy for safety and justice, according to Il Sole 24 Ore’s latest national quality-of-life report. The city records nearly 7,000 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants — the highest rate in the country — and ranks 104th out of 107 for perceived insecurity, with over a third of families feeling unsafe in their own neighbourhoods. It is also second-to-worst for property damage.
Liberal mayor Beppe Sala has previously explained Milan’s poor performance in such surveys by suggesting that “citizens report crime more” often in the city compared to elsewhere, and therefore the statistics make the city look worse than it is.
Last November, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced the deployment of 600 additional police officers to Milan, citing concerns over integration challenges and rising crime rates, particularly in areas with significant immigrant populations.
He noted that 65 percent of all crimes in the city are committed by foreign nationals, despite representing 20 percent of all residents, and suggested that “integration challenges must be addressed to reduce marginalization and its consequences.”
Sala, himself, said at the time, “I won’t claim Milan is a safe city, but it is making an effort to address challenges faced by all international cities.”
The city confirmed last week that it would not be holding its traditional New Year’s Eve celebration in Piazza Duomo this year, citing Olympics preparation and a lack of space as the reasons.
Critics, however, suggested that the city could not afford any bad press in the lead-up to the Games, following several years of high-profile sexual assaults during New Year’s celebrations.
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