Rome: the report of the Department of Public Security for New Year's Eve 2024

Rome: the report of the Department of Public Security for New Year's Eve 2024.

Rome, the 2024 New Year's Eve data processed by Department of Public Safety, concerning the outcomes of the services provided for the prevention and detection of accidents resulting from the use of pyrotechnic products, accompanied by summary tables and graphs. The data collection was carried out, as usual, with the computerized analysis support procedure called RISe.C. Data relating to accidents that occurred during the 2024 New Year celebrations Unfortunately, a 45-year-old woman was killed in Naples, in the municipality of Afragola, was hit in the temple by a vacant bullet during the celebrations, probably by a member of the same family unit. The woman rushed to hospital“Cardarelli” Hospital” with a reserved prognosis, he subsequently died.

WOUNDED

The number total number of injured is 274, of which 12 were due to the use of firearms and 262 from fireworks. There were 49 hospitalized patients this year. The data highlights an increase compared to last year when there were 180 injured, with 48 hospitalizations.
However, with regard to minors who have suffered injuries, there is an increase in fact there are 64 minors who have suffered injuries, compared to 50 last year. Furthermore, the projection of data on serious injuries recorded an increase, as there were 2 cases with a prognosis of more than forty days, due to gunshot wounds, compared to 1 case the previous year; while there were 25 cases, with a prognosis of more than forty days, due to fireworks, compared to 10 cases the previous year.

Finally, the projections of the data on lightly injured people recorded the same data as last year, i.e. 10 cases with a prognosis of less than or equal to forty days, due to gunshot wounds, while from 159 cases with a prognosis of less than or equal to forty days, due to the fireworks, we moved on to current 232 cases.
Once again the most serious episodes must be traced back to the incorrect use of often illegal pyrotechnic products.

Of particular importance, the following incidents occurred:

• in Naples: a 50-year-old woman came to the emergency room after suffering a gunshot wound to her side while attending New Year's Eve celebrations on the balcony of her home. She has a reserved prognosis and is in danger of dying;
• still in Naples: a 50-year-old Algerian citizen, while walking down the street, was hit by a bullet which hit his shoulder and reached his lung. The aforementioned is in a reserved prognosis awaiting surgery;
• in Foggia: a 47 year old man suffered injuries with multiple amputations to the fingers of his left hand and second degree burns following the explosion of a firecracker;
• always in Foggia: a 17 year old boy, following the explosion of a homemade firecracker, reported the amputation of his left hand with a prognosis of 30 days;
• in Grosseto: the explosion of a firecracker during the outdoor celebrations injured 3 minors. The most serious was a minor under 15 years old who reported the almost total amputation of his left hand and abrasions to his face and chest. Given the severity of his injuries, he was transported to the Careggi Hospital in Florence;
• a Milano: an 18-year-old Egyptian national suffered the loss of the fingers of both hands following the explosion of a fireworks display;
• always at Milano: a 36-year-old man arrived at the Legnano hospital and was hospitalized with a guarded prognosis with third-degree burns on his hands and face, for having handled gunpowder in an attempt to create an artisanal product;
• still to Milano: a minor of Philippine nationality, while handling a compressed air weapon, suffered a trauma to her left hand with a prognosis of 30 days;
• in Siena: a 15-year-old was urgently transported to the Careggi hospital in Florence for serious injuries to his hand following the explosion of a firecracker in the municipality of Poggibonsi. The prognosis is guarded;
• Latina: three minors aged 15, 10 and 6 during the celebrations in the garden of their home located in Terracina, while lighting a battery of fireworks, suffered injuries judged to be recoverable in 30, 15 and 10 days respectively for wounds to the face and in the legs;
• in L'Aquila: in the municipality of Pacentro, a young Roman man aged 20, while in the company of 3 friends, was injured in his right hand by the explosion of a firecracker. He was transported to Sulmona Hospital and underwent surgery to reconstruct his limb. Prognosis greater than 40 days sc;
• in Varese: a 17-year-old minor reported the amputation of his right hand and the injury of his left eye following the explosion of a firecracker;
• in Trento: a 54-year-old Moroccan man suffered amputation of the third ray after picking up an unexploded firecracker;
• always in Trento: a 23-year-old man of Moldovan origin lost his left hand following the explosion of a so-called "onion" firecracker;
• in Lucca: a 15-year-old minor lost his thumb and index finger while using a firecracker.
  A global assessment of the trend of the phenomenon recorded over the last ten years is represented by the following graphs which report, in summary, the overall data of deaths, that of the injured with a prognosis of more than forty days and that of the more minor injuries judged curable with a prognosis of less than or equal to forty days.

From communications sent by the peripheral offices (in addition to the individual data inserted in the RISe.C. survey system) and from the data deduced from the open sources relating to accidents with injuries caused by the explosion of pyrotechnic products, it is noted that the typical pathologies produced by the explosion of pyrotechnic products atbursting effect” traumas to the hands and face are confirmed. Injuries to the eyeballs and fractures and/or amputations of fingers and/or phalanges are frequent.

RESTRICTIVE MEASURES AND SEIZURES

During the survey period which covered the entire month of December 2023, 304 people in a state of freedom were reported, with an increase compared to last year when 273 were reported, and 50 people were arrested up from 35 in December 2022.
Below are the overall quantities of materials seized in the month of December, although it is possible to hypothesize that in the next few hours the data may undergo increases due to late system updates, by the territorial offices:

• n. 473 rocket launchers (583 last year);
• n. 7 common shooting weapons (8 last year);
• n. 23 rounds of ammunition (11.953 last year);
• kg. 836 of gunpowder (1.818 last year);
• kg. 12.490 of artefacts belonging to the IV and V Tulps categories (37.108 last year);
• kg. 41.755 of artefacts bearing the “CE” marking (26.246 last year);
• kg. 3.475 of products in any case not recognised, i.e. not included in the Tulps or "CE" categories because they are illegal, not correctly labelled, not compliant with CE standards, not compliant with recognition and classification decrees, abusive and/or other (9.866 last year);
• n. 156.085 pieces of pyrotechnic articles of various nature which, for operational reasons, have been
  indicated by the offices in pieces rather than in kilos (1.785.815 last year);
• n. 186 detonators (72 last year);
• n. 3521 trigger capsules (1.301 last year).

Among the main reasons that legitimized the seizure measures are:

• illicit detention by those who were not entitled to it;
• the illegal nature of the seized products themselves, due to the lack of CE marking;
• the excess cargoes held by license holders.

CONTROL ACTIVITY

The following table shows the aggregate data concerning the control activities carried out by the Police Forces throughout the month of December, at the factories, warehouses and authorized retail outlets with specific PS license:

In conclusion, therefore, this year too the data referable to the numerous investigative activities carried out in the area, such as administrative checks, arrests and seizures, demonstrate how the commitment made by the Police Force has made it possible to prevent the illicit entry on the market of large quantities of illegally detained pyrotechnic products and the consequent containment of harmful events.