In the Bitonto area, law‑enforcement interventions highlighted a surge in criminal activity. On 20 June, a rapid response by the private security firm Metronotte stopped a burglary attempt at a villa on the Terlizzi‑Bitonto border, forcing intruders to flee without stealing anything.
A few days later, a robbery at an apartment on via Repubblica left an elderly couple held hostage for over an hour. Councilor Domenico Damascelli of Fratelli d’Italia condemned the assault and urged the authorities to elevate the local police commissariat, create a Carabinieri company and install advanced video‑surveillance systems to improve public safety.
Both incidents have intensified local calls for a more visible and better‑equipped police presence in Bitonto.