High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Polizia di Stato (State Police or PdS) is one of the national police forces of Italy. It is responsible for providing police duties in Italy; patrolling motorways, railways, airports, customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police forces. It was a military force until 1981 when, with the Italian State Law 121, became a civil force, in contrast to the other main police forces of Italy, the Carabinieri, which is a military police force and the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian customs and border protection police that also falls in the military corps category.