Italian police protest budget cuts

Budget cuts for Italy's security forces including carabinieri, financial police and forest wardens will total three billion euros.

Nearly 30,000 police took to the streets of Rome on Wednesday to protest massive budget cuts, obsolete equipment and a hiring slowdown under the centre-right government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

- This government won the last elections in April 2008 promising better security to the citizens. And what has it done? It has cut a billion euros (1.5 billion dollars) from the police budget alone for 2009 to 2011 - said union representative Filippo Girella.

Budget cuts for Italy's security forces including carabinieri, financial police and forest wardens will total three billion euros over the three years.

The organisers -- six unions representing around 90 percent of the police force -- estimated the turnout at nearly 30,000 in Rome, with smaller protests across the country.

The work force was already down by between 6,000 and 7,000 at the start of the year, said Girella of the right-wing UGL union. - This year, we will have hired about 1,000 while 4,000 officers retire, which means we'll have a shortfall of 10,000. -

The police are also concerned about their equipment.

- We have cars with more than 200,000 kilometres (125,000 miles) on them - Girella told AFP.

- I voted for this government, but I have the impression that they don't care about us. They haven't kept any of their promises - Girella said.