Carabinieri in Milano

[Daniel Kalal]

They've always got interesting equipment.

[oldbike54]

 And by all accounts they know how to use it !

  Dusty

[bad Chad]

On our tour through Italy last year our Italian guide told us that the Carabinieri are considered to be something like Kristine cops. I had never heard anything like that and wonder is there truth to her comment or was she just expressing her personal opinion?

[segesta]

On our tour through Italy last year our Italian guide told us that the Carabinieri are considered to be something like Kristine cops. I had never heard anything like that and wonder is there truth to her comment or was she just expressing her personal opinion?

Kristine? Was that an autocorrect for "Keystone"?

Italian police forces don't easily match up to the USA's. The Carabinieri are like a combination of State Police (though the Polizia di Stato patrol the autostrade), Military Police and FBI, and then there's the Guardia di Finanze which are like the Secret Service and Coast Guard.

All seem to be busy smoking, calling mamma every 45 minutes, and looking good. And yes, the Carabinieri are sometimes mocked the way the TSA is mocked in the USA. Though the waddling former Burger King employees of the TSA have never been accused of "looking good."
Flame away, TSA fans!

[Carlo DeSantis]

On our tour through Italy last year our Italian guide told us that the Carabinieri are considered to be something like Kristine cops. I had never heard anything like that and wonder is there truth to her comment or was she just expressing her personal opinion?

"Keystone Kops?"

Take a peek at Wikipedia for some background.  There is no equivalent in the USA of which I'm aware.

Best,

Carlo

PS: Notice my avatar; my paternal grandfather was a carabiniere before emigrating to the USA.