A Unique Experience in Italy: Bees as Police Informants

Italy is famous for its Carabinieri (police and gendarmerie) tasked with combating the most dangerous criminals in the country, especially mafia gangs. However, there is a special unit responsible for protecting forests and the environment, which is now targeting a different type of organized groups. Since 2018, the roof of the force's headquarters in central Rome has been home to beehives. Major Giancarlo Papito states: One of the main tasks of the Italian police is to monitor the environment, but we use bees as indicators of biodiversity. The insects monitor an area ranging from 1.5 kilometers to two kilometers, helping us gather information about air pollutants.