Page 55 - Coespu 2018-3

Carabinieri “Cultural Heritage Protection” (TPC):

Use of Database and App

The TPC is a part of the Ministry of
Culture and plays a role regarding the
safety and protection of the national
cultural heritage, through the
prevention and repression of the
multiple interrelated criminal activities.
According to the Italian legislation,
regarding the protection of cultural
heritage the Carabinieri TPC is the
Centre of information and analysis for
all Italian law enforcement agencies.
The organizational chart foreseen, at
central level, a Staff Office and an
Operational Department (split into three
Sections: Archaeology, Antique,
Modern Art and Counterfeiting) and, on
a territorial level, 12 Branches with
regional or interregional jurisdiction
plus a Sub-Unit in Sicily.
As regards its international scope, in addition to working in the sphere of international police
cooperation by INTERPOL, the TPC has other responsibilities, such as providing specialized
support to peace-keeping operations, such as in Iraq from 2003 to 2006; training of police
officers and customs officials in countries that submit such a request; consulting to the Ministry of
Cultural Heritage and Activities, in respect of activities centred on retrieving archaeological relics
belonging to the national heritage and exhibited in museums and private collections abroad.

The Database

Since the 1980s, the Carabinieri TPC have been
using an auxiliary instrument of investigations: the
“Database of illegally removed cultural
artefacts”, provided by Article 85 of the
Legislative Decree no. 42 dated 22 January 2004
(Code of the Cultural and Landscape Heritage),
which contains information on the artefacts to
recover, of Italian or foreign provenance, and on
related criminal events. The use of sophisticated
computer technology has made the database a

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