GTA-style scenes in Cerignola, the city that calls for the army: when crime dictates the political agenda.

In Cerignola, the call to see soldiers on the streets is nothing new, but each time it resurfaces, it takes on the bitter taste of implicit surrender: the surrender of a community forced to live with a crime rate that over the years has managed to take root, reinvent itself, and expand its influence far beyond the city limits. The latest cry of alarm comes from Mayor Francesco Bonito , who has asked the Interior Minister and the Prefect for an extraordinary intervention by the army, convinced that the presence of law enforcement alone is no longer sufficient to guarantee security.

An unresolved issue for decades

Cerignola isn't just a crime story: it's a decades-long history of robberies, muggings, arson, and, above all, a veritable criminal "brand" linked to car theft. This phenomenon has helped make the city a hub for illicit activity in Capitanata, with ripple effects throughout the province. The numbers speak for themselves: every year, thousands of vehicles disappear from the streets, fueling a black market intertwined with other trafficking activities. The other day, yet another viral video emerged, featuring scenes reminiscent of GTA, the popular video game about car thieves: bandits stealing an SUV in broad daylight in front of numerous passersby .

The permanent electoral topic

The issue of security has become a permanent electoral issue: every administration, regardless of political affiliation, finds itself faced with the need to "flex its muscles" without managing to address the root of the problem. The invocation of the military is a symptom of a growing distrust of conventional solutions, but also confirmation that the criminal fabric has established itself as a structural factor in city life.

The pressure on Rome

The Municipality and the Prefecture have already received military support in the past in policing the area. Now, the new appeal is accompanied by a request for a planned intervention plan, not just reactive but preventative, to counter the escalation of incidents which, as Councilor Teresa Cicolella points out, are not limited to car thefts but undermine the city's overall livability.

The real challenge

While deploying the army may provide immediate relief on the public order front, the real challenge remains disrupting the economic and social cycle that fuels organized crime. Because as long as Cerignola continues to be perceived—and experienced—as a safe haven for predators, car thefts and petty crime will continue to be rampant, making the military presence a temporary stopgap, not a permanent cure.

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