Control services officer course in Milan.

The professional role of the licensed event security steward in entertainment and performance activities in venues open to the public or in public establishments is strictly regulated by Ministerial Decree 6 October 2009 (issued pursuant to Law No. 94/2009, the so‑called Maroni Decree). The qualifying training programme delivered by Arcadia Company complies with regional and ministerial framework directives, constituting a mandatory and prerequisite condition for registration on the specific prefectural list held by the Territorial Office of the Government (UTG). The trained operator assumes unarmed auxiliary security duties, acting as a safeguard of legality, prevention and management of environmental criticalities.

The curricula combine theoretical and practical modules in full compliance with the quality standards of the ISO 9001:2015 certification. The training does not aim to replace the police forces, but qualifies professionals able to carry out preliminary checks, monitor ingress and egress flows and promptly activate institutional and medical emergency channels, ensuring venue owners and event organisers the highest regulatory compliance and protection from objective liability.

Structure of the training programme and module distribution

In accordance with the annex of Ministerial Decree 6 October 2009, the training pathway is structured into three distinct and complementary macro‑competence areas:

Legal area: limits of the qualification, TULPS and criminal law

The legal module constitutes the cornerstone of the training, defining with exact precision the operational boundaries within which the licensed event security steward may lawfully act. The operator does not hold the status of public official nor of public service officer; he/she acts as a private citizen employee or licence holder pursuant to art. 134 of the TULPS (if employed by security firms or authorised investigative agencies) or art. 68/69 TULPS (if directly employed by the organiser). The transferred legal competence focuses on the absolute prohibition of exercising inspection or personal search functions, which remain exclusive prerogatives of the judicial police.

The operator is instructed on the correct procedures for carrying out preliminary and visual checks at access points, including the authority to request presentation of entry credentials and the spontaneous opening of bags or backpacks by the patron, refusing entry to the venue in case of non‑cooperation. The legal concepts of legitimate defence (Art. 52 c.p.) and state of necessity (Art. 54 c.p.) are examined restrictively, highlighting the criteria of strict necessity, immediacy of danger and proportionality between the defensive action and the threatened offence, in order to prevent conduct that could be deemed culpable excess or arbitrary exercise of one’s rights.

Technical area: crowd management, fire‑safety protocols and first aid

The technical area provides the logistical skills required to guard and monitor the structural and environmental safety of the activity venue. The modules include an in‑depth study of fire‑prevention regulations for public entertainment premises, training the trainee in the use of extinguishing equipment and systematic verification of the egress routes and safety exits. Mass management (crowd management) is addressed through the study of capacity control, i.e., real‑time numerical monitoring of entries to ensure compliance with capacity limits imposed by the Oversight Commission on Public Entertainment Venues.

An integral part of the technical training concerns the prevention and management of health risk. The operator acquires the ability to recognise behavioural and physiological markers resulting from alcohol or drug abuse, applying entry‑denial protocols stipulated by the civil code and, in case of illness or alcoholic coma, activating first‑aid procedures in coordination with the Medical Emergency Service (112). The technical action extends to mapping environmental risk factors and logistical cooperation with the event’s security managers.

Psychosocial area: dynamic de‑escalation techniques and proxemics

Managing audience flows in high‑density relational settings requires advanced psycho‑social and communication skills. The specialist module focuses on acquiring de‑escalation protocols aimed at intercepting, containing and defusing verbal conflicts before they can evolve into physical altercations. Learners study group dynamics and the psychological processes governing mass behaviour, developing specific emotional intelligence to operate in contexts with high cognitive stress.

The rules of operational proxemics are codified, governing the maintenance of interpersonal safety distances: the operator learns to position his/her body at non‑threatening yet defensible angles, simultaneously decoding the non‑verbal signals of a potential aggressor (body language, micro‑expressions, tone of voice). Dispute mediation is carried out through assertive communication techniques, whereby the use of physical force is strictly limited to residual cases of self‑defence or protection of the physical safety of third parties present on the operational site.

Administrative obligations, prefectural list and sanction framework

Ministerial Decree 6 October 2009 imposes a strict documentary and administrative framework on both the operator and the employer. Successful completion of the training course constitutes the qualifying title required to submit an application for registration on the list established at the competent Prefecture. During service delivery, the control steward has the mandatory duty to display visibly the identification badge conforming to the ministerial model, showing the unique identification code, photograph and the details of the institute or company they are employed by.

The regulations require immediate cooperation with the police forces, to whom the steward must promptly report any criminal intelligence or danger situation for public safety. Employing personnel not listed on the prefectural register, lacking honourability requirements (no convictions for intentional offences) or without the identification badge, exposes both the operator and the venue owner / event organiser to severe monetary administrative penalties, as well as possible license suspension measures pursuant to art. 100 TULPS.

Access requirements and final certification

Upon completing the regulated training hours and passing the suitability exam before the designated commission, a Regional Certificate of Professional Qualification for Licensed Event Security Stewards is issued, valid throughout the national territory. Admission to the course requires the following minimum legal prerequisites: legal age, fulfillment of compulsory schooling, absence of disqualifying criminal convictions and possession of medically certified psychophysical fitness.

Company management, public venue operators and subsidiary security agencies can contact Arcadia Company’s enrolment office to schedule dedicated training sessions or periodic re‑qualification of their staff.