Demetra Investigazioni e Sicurezza

An investigation agency that also tells you what it cannot do.

Unlike unarmed concierge and access-control services, private investigations in Italy require a licence issued by the Prefect. Ours is an Italian licence under art. 134 TULPS which, among other fields, covers corporate and commercial investigations throughout Italy. On this page you will find what we can investigate, under which rules, and what you should know before entrusting an investigation to anyone.

Speak to an investigator in confidence
Before you commission an investigation

The licence

What we are authorised to do, in black and white.

A Prefect’s licence is not a simple yes or no: Ministerial Decree 269/2010 grants it for specific fields of activity. An agency that investigates outside its own field has no legal standing for that investigation, and the evidence it gathers may turn out to be worthless. That is why we publish ours.

We do not carry out defence investigations in criminal proceedings or insurance investigations, as both require specific authorisations: if you need them, we will tell you who to approach.

Agency
Demetra Investigazioni e Sicurezza
Demetra Security Consulting S.r.l.
Licence
Prefect’s licence under art. 134 TULPS (Italy)
Fields
Private · Corporate · Commercial
Special laws and ministerial decrees (a.VI): door supervision staff
Territory
Throughout Italy
Licence details
Ref. no. 5482 of 10/02/2025, supplemented by ref. no. 48917 of 03/12/2025
Registered office
Via Sapri 14/C, 10127 Turin
Tax code and VAT no.
12932260016 · REA TO-1327210

The legal framework, and where we stand within it.

Article 5 of Ministerial Decree 269/2010 divides investigations into fields. The solid boxes are covered by our licence; the dashed ones require a different authorisation.

Prefect’s licence · art. 134 TULPSDemetra Investigazioni e SicurezzaRef. no. 5482/2025, supplemented by ref. no. 48917/2025
a) Private investigation six fields
a.IPrivate fieldInvestigations on behalf of private individuals.✓ Covered by our licence
a.IICorporate fieldEmployee dishonesty, absenteeism, unfair competition, trademarks.✓ Covered by our licenceThe service → a.IIICommercial fieldInventory shrinkage and investigative loss prevention in retail.✓ Covered by our licenceThe service →
a.IVInsurance fieldFraud and the reconstruction of insurance claims.Not included · we will tell you who to approach
a.VDefence investigationsWork for defence counsel in criminal proceedings.Not included · we will tell you who to approach
a.VISpecial lawsDoor supervision staff at entertainment venues.✓ Covered by our licence
b) Commercial information
bCommercial informationSolvency and financial reliability of individuals and companies.Not included · we will tell you who to approach

What we investigate for businesses

Two fields, one rule: we only do what our licence allows.

Retail loss investigationsInvestigative loss prevention in large-scale and big-box retail across Italy: the causes, methods and repeat patterns behind inventory shrinkage, and support with the criminal complaint (querela).Service and rules of engagement →Corporate investigationsDishonesty by employees and contractors, shortfalls, fraudulent absenteeism, suppliers, unfair competition, trademarks and counterfeiting.Service and rules of engagement →

Our experience

Almost thirty years of investigations, most of them in stores.

1997the founder enters the field of private investigation
2004his first Prefect’s licence
18 yearsof retail loss investigations for a major international sporting goods chain
100stores covered by the Group in 2025

Our method is the one the founder sets out in his book “Prova effimera” (in Italian), the first title in the “Controluce” series: mandate, question, hypothesis, evidence gathering, verification, report. And one rule that matters more than any technique: not every assignment deserves to be accepted.

Before you commission an investigation

Eight things every client should know.

They apply to us and to any other agency. Clients who know them rarely choose the wrong investigator.

  1. Check the licence and its scope

    Ask for the details of the Prefect’s licence and check that its scope covers your case. An investigator working without a licence, or outside its scope, is committing an offence and will hand you weak evidence.

  2. Insist on a written mandate

    It must state the right to be protected, the reasons for the investigation, its scope and its duration. Without a written mandate, the investigation is not lawful.

  3. The purpose must be legitimate

    Asserting or defending a right: in court, in a negotiation, within the company. Curiosity, control or revenge are not legitimate purposes.

  4. Do not ask for what the law forbids

    Wiretapping, accessing phones, emails and online accounts, filming inside someone’s home, unauthorised trackers: these are criminal offences, the evidence is worthless and whoever commissions them is liable too.

  5. If the investigation concerns an employee

    Wrongdoing may be established, but productivity or performance may never be monitored: the Workers’ Statute (Statuto dei lavoratori) forbids it.

  6. Ask for a clear quote

    Fees, expenses, duration and how you will be kept updated, all agreed before work begins. Be wary of anyone who guarantees results: what can be guaranteed is the method, not the outcome.

  7. Know what you will receive

    A report setting out facts, dates, places and images, which distinguishes what was observed from what is inferred from it, and an investigator who is prepared to testify.

  8. Involve your lawyer

    If the evidence is needed in court, working with your lawyer from the outset makes all the difference. Results are handed over only to you or to your lawyer, and the data are deleted when the assignment ends.

References: art. 134 TULPS; Ministerial Decree 269/2010; Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and the code of conduct for investigations issued by the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali); Articles 4 and 8 of the Workers’ Statute (Statuto dei lavoratori).

Tell us about the case. We will tell you whether, and how, it can be investigated.

The first conversation is confidential and carries no obligation. Email us at consulenze@demetragroup.it or call +39 329 1093485.

In confidenceWrite to usconsulenze@demetragroup.it — the first conversation is confidential and carries no obligation.Send an email →Prefer to talk it through+39 329 1093485The investigation agency’s direct line.Call now →Before you commission an investigationEight things to knowThey apply to us and to any other agency.Read them →