Police
For the quality of life of all citizens, as well as for those who come to Lugano for tourism, it is important to be safe and feel safe at home, on the streets, day and night, in every neighborhood and at all times of the year. For this reason, the fight against crime—whether it involves violence, theft, or traffic violations—is conducted in a structured manner, daily, and throughout the territory.
And if Lugano, as certified by national statistics comparing the number of reported crimes, has been the safest city in Switzerland since 2015, it is undoubtedly due to its Police force, which operates through a 24-hour territorial control and patrol service; has an Operational Center that enables video monitoring of the main points and traffic junctions in the city; and is connected with other Police Bodies and Security Services present in the area.
"A municipal police force is, by its nature, in direct contact with citizens. In this sense, the Lugano City Police have always based their actions on the principles of proximity, aiming to find effective and lasting solutions to both the subjective and objective security concerns of our citizens, with the continuous involvement of relevant social and institutional partners.
We operate with modern equipment, tools, and technologies, ensuring a visible and active presence in the territory, supported by an in-depth knowledge of the area's characteristics, people, and local issues. However, effective action against the rapid changes of modern crime also requires an ongoing pursuit of synergies and collaborations, not only with the Region III police forces, for which we act as a Hub and coordinator, but also with the Cantonal Police and other security partners. Only in this way can we continue to contribute decisively and actively to the improvement of efficient and, above all, coordinated policing, ensuring greater security and public order for citizens, not only at the local level but also on a regional and cantonal scale."
The Commander, Lawyer Roberto Torrente
Organizational Structure of the Police
The municipal police are divided into Stato maggiore (General Staff, providing cross-division services), Polizia amministrativa (management of permits, lost and found items, fines, construction site signage, etc.), and Polizia operativa (operational police). The Polizia operativa is further divided into the Sezione prevenzione e intervento (prevention and intervention section), Sezione di prossimità (proximity section), and Sezione attività specialistiche (specialized activities unit).
Services
Tecnologia e informatica (Technology and IT)
This service primarily manages the police’s IT infrastructure and maintains the efficiency of technology-equipped devices (video surveillance, parking payment machines, parking meters, pedestrian area systems, etc.).
Centrale operativa (Operational Center)
The Operational Center is staffed by police officers and civilian personnel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Its main tasks include receiving, assessing, and applying urgent measures to various alarm requests, ensuring information flow, managing radio transmissions, and conducting various database checks.
Since June 2020, the Cantonal Alarm Center 118 has been relocated to the joint Alarm Center (CECAL). However, since April 2021, all calls for the municipal police of Region III have been centralized at the Operational Center of the Lugano Police.
Prevenzione (Prevention)
The Prevention Unit primarily teaches road safety to students in local schools. It also develops prevention campaigns, conducts courses for the elderly to prevent scams or robberies, and, upon request, offers targeted lessons on youth-related issues such as bullying, drug use, etc.
Ordine pubblico (Public Order Unit)
Ensures 24-hour external operations through motorized operational officers. Primarily responsible for general crime prevention and intervention through patrols within the jurisdiction of Lugano, it also operates in other municipalities within the Lugano Police Region when necessary.
Traffico (Traffic Unit)
This unit is composed of motorcycle officers and specializes in traffic control. It handles road traffic controls (radar, technical checks, etc.), manages all traffic arrangements for events, and supports other sections when needed.
Concept
The traffic police officer operates throughout the jurisdiction of the City of Lugano. Their activities focus primarily on matters related to the Road Traffic Law, patrolling preventively to ensure smooth traffic flow and effective traffic management.
Operations
To carry out their duties effectively, traffic police officers primarily use service motorcycles or cars when weather conditions make motorcycles impractical.
The motorcycle officer consistently patrols the area, responding promptly to traffic accidents, Road Traffic Law violations, or unusual traffic situations (such as large inflows and outflows from events). The motorcycle officer also supports the Public Order Unit and actively participates in sports and other events requiring police traffic management.
The Traffic Unit also includes a technical team specializing in Road Traffic Law matters, conducting technical inspections on light and heavy vehicles, performing speed checks, and organizing and managing traffic for events within the jurisdiction of the City of Lugano.
Quartieri (Districts Unit)
Primarily focused on community policing, this unit works in close coordination with local social and institutional partners to find lasting security solutions within districts through thorough patrols and direct interaction with residents.
Attività specialistiche (Specialized Activities Unit)
This unit includes officers specialized in sensitive areas who primarily work in plain clothes, addressing issues such as drug-related matters, begging, prostitution, vandalism, hooliganism, illegal labor, and unauthorized activities.
Concept
The Specialized Activities Unit operates throughout the jurisdiction of Lugano, dealing with sensitive issues such as drug use, illegal labor, unauthorized activities, prostitution, vandalism, hooliganism, and begging.
Operations
Specialized Activities officers, who typically work in plain clothes, are equipped with unmarked vehicles and specialized technical equipment.
Their work primarily focuses on preventing and combating illegal activities, especially related to drug use and trafficking.
Over time, the Specialized Activities Unit has expanded its responsibilities and now covers a wide range of issues, including monitoring and controlling activities related to prostitution, illegal labor, begging, hooliganism, general degradation, and domestic violence.
Sezione amministrativa (Administrative Section)
This section is divided into administrative police services and user services. The former are responsible for overseeing administrative police activities, such as public establishments, markets, public spaces, signage, and taxis. User services, on the other hand, handle requests received at Police counters, manage lost and found items, parking permits, and the administration and collection of fines.
Viabilità e segnaletica (Traffic and Signage)
Responsible for all signage in the City of Lugano, this unit verifies necessary changes or replacements. It also plans road diversions during major events that require the closure of certain streets or the lakeside road. Finally, it manages the reservation of parking spaces or public areas for general events.
Edilizia e cantieri (Construction and Work Sites)
This unit primarily handles applications concerning private construction sites, roadwork, and helicopter flights. For private construction sites, a preliminary notice is issued to the Divisione Edilizia privata (Private Building Division) with the relevant safety provisions, while for roadwork, an authorization is issued, in collaboration with the Dicastero immobili (Real Estate Department).
Regione di Polizia comunale III del Luganese
The Polizia regionale del Luganese (Regional Police of Luganese) covers 47 municipalities, with more than 180 municipal police officers working in a coordinated manner and connected to the Centrale operativa della Polizia di Lugano (Lugano Police Operations Center) via Polycom radio.
It meets the needs of citizens at all times and in every municipality of the Luganese municipal police region, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The organization and coordination of the Regione di Polizia comunale III del Luganese (Municipal Police Region III of Luganese) between the main police unit and the structured police forces is regulated by an agreement between the City of Lugano and the municipalities of Agno, Capriasca, Caslano, Collina d'Oro, Lamone, Massagno, and Paradiso.
The Polizia regionale del Luganese officially came into operation on 1 September 2015, following a three-year transition period that allowed municipalities to establish a municipal police force or to sign an agreement with another municipality.
The Legge sulla collaborazione fra la Polizia cantonale e le Polizie comunali (LCPol) and the related regulation, however, came into force on 1 September 2012.
Thanks to historical documentation, traces of a police force in Lugano can be found as early as the late 18th century. However, the Police Corps as such, meaning a force composed of armed officers, was officially established on 10 January 1901, with the enactment of the Police Regulation approved by the Municipal Assembly.
Initially based on the ground floor of the Town Hall, in 1969 the police began progressively moving its services to the second floor of the building, occupying the rooms above the City Parliament chamber until the relocation to Via Beltramina in 1996.
Commanders of the Lugano City Police
- Santino Lironi (from 9 March 1901, to 1922)
- Luigi Luvini (from 13 March 1922, to 1943)
- Erminio Bottinelli (from 28 June 1943, to 1979)
- Jvan Weber (from 5 March 1979, to 2004)
- Roberto Torrente (from 1 December 2004, to the present)
The City Police have published a presentation of the report on their activities and statistics for the year 2023.
The English version of this page was created with the aid of automatic translation tools and may contain errors and omissions.
The original version is the page in Italian.