Andrea Rossi is stepping down as head of Rimini’s local police. The commander formally announced his voluntary decision to relinquish his role as head of the department, effective from November 9, 2026. The move comes amid the judicial storm surrounding the Falchi unit, the plainclothes squad at the center of a Prosecutor’s Office investigation into alleged abuses, falsified reports and violence against citizens stopped during checks.
Rossi explained that he made the decision to ensure the greatest possible calm for the work of the municipality, local police officers and investigators, following events that in recent weeks have involved several members of the Corps and drawn intense media attention.
The investigation into the Falchi unit has led to eight officers being placed under investigation, facing charges including falsifying public documents, unlawful coercion, slander and causing bodily harm. According to investigators’ reconstruction, some officers allegedly carried out irregular checks, used violence against people stopped, and later recorded accounts in their reports that did not match what actually happened.
On October 24, preliminary investigations judge Raffaella Ceccarelli ordered restraining measures against all eight officers, ranging in duration from six months to one year. The municipality subsequently proceeded with their mandatory suspension from duty. The officers under investigation have denied the allegations, and their defense teams have announced plans to appeal to the Court of Review (Tribunale del Riesame).
Meanwhile, the investigation has widened to include two additional officers, accused of aiding and abetting. Among the eight originally implicated is also Maria Beatrice Mulazzani, commander Rossi’s wife.
The position of the Corps’ leadership had also come under scrutiny over certain passages in the judge’s ruling, which referenced alleged internal awareness of irregular conduct and the failure to take action to stop it. In recent days, statements from some officers had also emerged, suggesting that reports about the unit’s methods had already reached command level.
Rossi’s resignation thus comes at a particularly delicate moment for Rimini’s local police, as investigations continue and the full picture of responsibility remains to be clarified. The commander’s decision is voluntary and has not been presented by the administration as a disciplinary measure.
The Municipality of Rimini thanked Rossi for his “valuable, generous and steadfast commitment” to serving the city, expressing hope that the judicial investigation will swiftly bring full clarity to the alleged events, also in the interest of safeguarding the reputation of the Corps and the administration.
From November 9, the role of acting head of the Local Police department will be entrusted to Fabio Mazzotti.
