NAPLES - Italy said on Tuesday it was sending hundreds of police reinforcements to Naples to combat a bloody crime wave that has prompted some calls for the army to be sent in to restore order.
Three more people were killed on Tuesday in and around the southerncity, which is home to a branch of the Mafia, bringing to seven the number of people murdered in the area since Friday.
Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said he was sending 1000 more police to Italy's third biggest city which, according to media reports, currently has a security force about 13,000 strong.
Shortly after Amato's statement, two people were killed near in Torre del Greco, a small town near Naples. The motives for the murders were not clear.
Earlier in the day a 36-year old man was shot dead in his videogames shop in what officials said appeared to be a Mafia-related murder.
Naples draws tens of thousands of tourists every year thanks to its history, architecture and position at the foot of the volcano Vesuvius.
But it is almost as famous for the Camorra, the local version of the Sicilian Mafia, and for petty crime.
The spate of murders and armed robberies in recent weeks has prompted some politicians to call for the army to step in.
Prime Minister Romano Prodi did not rule out the idea on Tuesday, but added that any solution would have to bring long-term benefits.
"This time the fight against crime will not be carried out to soothe public opinion for a few days or a few months, but it will be a permanent fight to bring safety to the citizens," he told reporters.
