Turin nightlife venues pay for 'security' amid youth scooter gangs targeting customers

Businesses in Turin's Via Reggio, a popular nightlife area known as "Le Panche," have resorted to hiring private security to combat rising public disorder. Fifteen establishments are collectively funding a team of twenty private security operators who patrol the area, manage crowds, and monitor the streets. This initiative costs the businesses approximately 150,000 euros per year.

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We do our best to maintain security. The main problem is organized groups of very young people, often minors, who speed around on scooters to snatch gold necklaces from customers.

The primary concern for the security team is organized groups, often minors, who use scooters to snatch gold necklaces from patrons. Francesco Migliaccio, the head of security, described how his team intervenes to warn potential victims. He noted a shift in the area's clientele after midnight, with groups arriving specifically to commit crimes. These individuals are highly organized, changing clothes and using bandages on their faces to avoid identification after thefts.

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Look, they are following you, put your necklace in your pocket.

Local business owners report a significant change in the neighborhood's atmosphere over the years. What was once a place for young people to enjoy themselves has become a source of concern due to criminal activity. This environment affects not only potential revenue but also the overall working conditions, creating a constant sense of unease. The problem is compounded by the illegal sale of alcohol in glass bottles by some minimarkets after 9 p.m., violating a local ordinance and contributing to public disturbances, including projectile throwing.

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After midnight the crowd changes and groups arrive who only come here to commit crimes. They are very organized: they bring a change of clothes, wear bandages on their faces which they remove immediately after the thefts to avoid being recognized and lie in wait to signal someone's arrival.

The issue extends beyond Via Reggio, with police recording numerous violations of alcohol sales restrictions across Turin. The businesses in Via Reggio are bearing the financial burden of security and cleanup, while also facing competition from establishments that flout regulations. This situation highlights the complex challenges of managing urban nightlife and ensuring public safety.

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Before, young people came from outside, people who just wanted to have fun. Now many no longer come, to avoid problems.