Police officers in Italy sent a letter to the Ministry of the Interior, the ministry responsible for the country’s security, complaining about a batch of protective masks against the coronavirus sent to agents in at least four Italian communes.
The reason for the protest, however, has nothing to do with opposition to the use of the equipment. In this aspect, Italian police officers are not denialists and recognize the effectiveness of the mask to contain the spread of the virus. What bothered the agents was the fact that the masks were pink.
In the letter, released by the Italian press this Thursday (13) and signed by the secretary general of the Autonomous Police Union (SAP), Stefano Paoloni, the corporation refers to the lot as an “unusual supply” and shows considerable discomfort with the situation.
“The reasons behind purchasing masks in a color that does not seem suitable to our Administration are not known, and the choice to approve this purchase is baffling,” the letter reads.
“Almost two years after the beginning of the pandemic”, the document continues, “it is difficult to imagine difficulties in acquiring personal protective equipment that represents, as is known, one of the main tools aimed at combating the spread of the virus”.
For the union, the pink lot indicates a failure by the Italian authorities to “preserve the dignity” of police officers. The text also brings the argument that agents should not be ordered to “perform institutional activities with eccentric color protection devices in relation to the uniform”.
In Paoloni’s view, if police officers wear pink protective masks against the coronavirus “there is a risk of compromising the institution’s image”.
“Therefore, we request immediate intervention to ensure that colleagues work with masks of different colors (white, blue or black),” the document reads.
At the end of the letter, the union even hints at possible misuse of state funds. “Confident in the adoption of the necessary determinations, hoping that this is not a waste of public money, we await a courteous response to this [solicitação] and we offer cordial greetings.”
The Interior Ministry did not comment on the contents of the letter and the officers’ request.
.
