MILAN, Italy, May 22 (Xinhua) - Italy's business capital Milan has suffered a wave of multiple crimes and murders carried out in the past two weeks.
On Tuesday, local media reported a midday Molotov-cocktail robbery in the city center that injured two, of which one seriously.
Another episode of violence took place in the northern city's suburbs on Thursday last week, when a father and son were shot dead outside a bar.
Police arrested an employee of the father and son, who ran a building firm, on suspicion of the murder. The detained man told investigators that he "could not stand them anymore."
The deadliest episode was a pickaxe rampage by a Ghanian immigrant on May 11. The undocumented man, Mada Kabobo, killed one man and injured three others in an hour-long string of attacks before being stopped by police. Two of the injured died later of their wounds.
According to the latest crime report released by the interior ministry, Milan in 2011 had the highest rate of crime in Italy in relation to population, or more than 7,000 incidents for every 100,000 citizens.
Local police said the city registered a two-figure rise of thefts and house burglaries in 2012. The number of murders increased to 34 from 29 registered in the previous year.
The attacks, though very different from each other, underline the weight of economic crisis in a place seen as a wealth generator, Giangiacomo Schiavi, an author and columnist of Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera, told Xinhua.
In his view, "Milan is not an unsafe city" but the feeling of risk and fear was increased by "a recent underestimation of less serious criminal offences."
Following the recent spate of violence, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said that some 140 police have been added to existing forces in Milan.
"Safety in Milan is a national priority," Alfano said following a meeting with a specially-formed security committee. Local authorities were also considering a military presence in the Italian business capital.
Currently, Schiavi noted, police are often only focused on big events and overlook petty crime, which leaves an uncomfortable feeling for citizens who have suffered this kind of violence.
"Governors must not underestimate these warning signs, but intercept them before they degenerate," he highlighted.
"Investigations on smaller offences can lead to the authors of the most sensational ones. Prevention is fundamental to improve urban security," he said.
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