I felt like saluting him.

I'm trying to understand the policing system in Italy. There seem to be two kinds of police. The regular municipal police. And the Carabinieri. That seems odd. In that I didn't know whom to call in case I needed police assistance. If I wanted to report a crime. Doesn't matter, my true love tells me. They both work together. When I googled the Carabinieri, I discovered that it's an elite military corps. It's listed as one of Italy's armed forces. With the same status as the army or the navy. But the Carabinieri also has authority to do local policing. In America that probably wouldn't go over very big. The mere idea of having military police roaming the streets would cause considerable consternation. Maybe big protests, politically and otherwise. For fear some day of a military takeover of government. But apparently this set up is working well in Italy. People accept it. The Carabinieri seem to be well respected. And they have neat and fancy uniforms. Yes, a military bearing. It's very impressive. I once approached a Carabinieri in a train station in Milan because I needed help finding my way around. And he spoke English. He was of great help. So my one encounter was favorable. I felt like saluting him. --Jim Broede