At the convention, sponsored by the Venice Section of the International Police Association (IPA) and the Regional Council of Veneto, the following presenters participated: Filippo Salvalaio, President of the Venetian Section of IPA, Enrico Gavagnin, Councilor of Venice municipality, delegate for "participated security programs", Karl Brunnbauer and Leonardo Campanale, respectively President and Vice-President of the European Neighbourhood Watch Association (EUNWA), Francesco Caccetta, President of the Italian Neighbourhood Watch Association (INWA), Roberta Bravi, Secretary of the Associazione Nazionale Controllo di Vicinato network (ANCDV) and Roberto Ciambetti, President of the Regional Council of Veneto.
More than 100 people attended the meeting, representing the Neighbourhood Watch schemes coordinators of Venice area and law enforcement agencies representatives.
The convention was introduced by the IPA President, Filippo Salvalaio, illustrating the IPA activities both locally and internationally. The congress continued with Councilman Enrico Gavagnin who presented the status of the “Controllo di Vicinato” project in the metropolitan area of Venice.
The conference continued with the convention of the international and national NW networks representatives. Karl Brunnbauer shared information from the Austrian neighbourhood watch experience (proNACHBAR), established in 2007, to the EUNWA foundation (2014), playing the role of collector of NW experiences of 40 entities spread in 26 European countries.
EUNWA Vice-president, Leonardo Campanale, described the current status of the European NW network, illustrating the best practices and the positive and large development that NW program had in some countries (Italy and France in particular). Diversity of experiences and partners involved in the project turns out to be the real strength of EUNWA.
Francesco Caccetta illustrated the path that in recent years has led the Italian authorities, initially sceptic of the project, to a full acceptance of NW program testified by the signing of several memoranda of understanding between Prefectures and Municipalities throughout Italy. Protocols involve law enforcement agencies and municipalities to support, promote and monitor these NW experiences.
Roberta Bravi illustrated the development of extensive network of NW schemes in Italy, its aggregative dynamics and its potentials, highlighting their multi-level and multi-agency characteristics and its proper operating framework within the Italian legal system.
The convention was closed by Roberto Ciambetti, Veneto Regional Council President, expressing the full support of the Region to the Italian NW project. Backing testified by the recent presentation of a regional law proposal aimed at encouraging the development of the project throughout its territory.
The convention ended with a commitment from Councilman Gavagnin for host the annual EUNWA international conference in Venice, in the autumn of 2019.
The meeting was highly appreciated by the audience as important moment for Venice’s NW group coordinators, who realized to be participating in a project with no borders, not only locally or nationally but also on a European and International level.
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