Do Italians respect their Police Force (s)?

Coming from England, the majority of the population are respectful and admiring of our police, who (for still the majority of Officers) are non armed, and can easily be approached for advice and directions.

My niece is a member of the London Metropolitan Police, my eldest son (leaving a reasonably lucrative career in an Employment Agency - at a drop in salary) is joining the PCSO (Police Community Support Officer - now a "stepping stone" into the national Police force), a fact for which, we, and the rest of our family, are very proud.

Not so in Italy? Last year, my wife met up on the local beach with a few of her Italian friends, as every year, and conversation ultimately turned to the "kids". The declaration that one of ours was joining the Police met with polite responses, but certainly with an element of surprise (politely hidden), that anyone with a university education would want to join the Police.

My only contact with the Police over here has been with the Vigili (very pleasant, and patient with my Italian), and extremely brief encounters at the Commissariato and Anagrafe, where they have always been polite, helpful and respectful.

Is it because of the wages (from other posts here I gather salaries are pretty poor for the Police), or do Italians in general not like their Police?

Good topic Markymark.

Lived and worked in Vicenza, Italia for two years. Got to work briefly with the Carbinari. All my contacts with them were positive. Played a little soccer with them and socialized with them a bit. At that time which was years and years ago I was making a mere $140 a month plus room and board and other benefits. Almost always ran out of money by the end of the month. (When I traveled all over Europe my parents had to send me money.) I remember this one Carbinari telling me that he thought I was rich. Don't remember if I asked him how much he made or if he even told me but it must have been molto poco. Considering the price of gas in Italy, the price of food, rent and all the altre cose how can people even making a living being a carbinari?!!

This past summer while traveling from Florence back to Perugia in Umbria shared a train comparment with a policeman from Piacenza who was going to Spoleto, Umbria to do police training seminars. (He was in plain clothes.) He was very nice and we had a long intersting conversation about the police and crime in Italy.

Not sure how the police are looked at in Italy but in the U.S. the police and the public generally don't get along well. The police in general have had this propensity to take out their clubs and just start beating on people as in the Rodney King case which was just an example of what the police do, have done, and to some extent still do. On the other hand there is the police side of the story too. Have friends that are policemen and they are all nice.

Wonder if there have ever been any Rodney King type events in Italy.

Also am interested in hearing what other people have to say about how Italians and the police get along and so forth.