What’s the difference between Carabinieri and Police?

Oh, that’s a good question. Let’s start with a simple assumption.

Italy is not an efficient country. It is known. Various bodies are responsible for many tasks in the country, due to tradition, and often their responsibilities overlap. Well, that’s great. This way, many people can hold public positions, ensuring income (and getting tangled up with it when the pension phase arrives…).
Both houses of parliament also overlap in many areas they are responsible for. The same goes for these two police forces. CARABINIERI and POLIZIA. But tradition is tradition.

The Carabinieri which are older, are a reminder of the policing force in the Kingdom of Sardinia and were established in 1813.
They are considered a military force with military ranks and are under the Ministry of Defense / Security of Italy.
The Polizia was established in 1852 and is under the Ministry of the Interior, having all the regular powers of a police force.

The offices of the Carabinieri are called Caserma (which means barracks) and are usually found in small towns. There is hardly a town without such a station.
The Polizia will have larger police stations (Questura), usually located in the centers of major cities.

The tradition remained from the period when the state, through the police (Polizia), used the military force (Carabinieri) to deal with violence, disorder, and guerrilla activity in the less populated areas where the police lacked a ‘military’ experience. In villages, in the mountains, between towns.

Since then, the number of people in all areas has changed, the ‘city’ and ‘village’ have mixed, and the services of the two bodies have blended into each other.

The word Polizia – originates from the Greek word ‘Polis’, which means ‘city’. In Latin, it is referred to as POLITIA, meaning policing in the city, and that’s how we have the word today.

The word Carabinieri – actually comes from the word – ‘carbine’ – a model of a rifle that was considered modern, efficient, and good for use by skilled military forces at the time.

The Carabinieri – will wear dark blue uniforms with a red stripe, and so will the cars: blue with a red stripe.
The Polizia will wear light blue uniforms with a burgundy stripe, and a coat in blue, and will drive blue cars with a white stripe, bearing the inscription Polizia.