Governor Proposes Real-Time Tracking of Habitual Pickpockets
Viral Video of Tourists Apprehending Offenders Spurs Action
As pickpocketing crimes surge in Venice, one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations, the regional governor has proposed a tough new measure: the attachment of electronic bracelets to offenders. The aim is to track the movements of pickpockets in real time and prevent repeat offenses in advance.
American tourist who directly caught a teenage pickpocket in Venice. Screenshot from X (formerly Twitter)
According to the British daily The Telegraph on the 27th (local time), Luca Zaia, the governor of Veneto, the region that includes Venice, proposed this measure, stating, "I feel a duty to protect all the cities of Veneto and the integrity of Venice." The core of the electronic bracelet proposal is to attach bracelets to habitual pickpockets so that if they approach certain areas, an automatic warning signal is sent to the authorities.
Governor Zaia emphasized, "Tourists are inviolable," adding, "It is unacceptable for them to have to walk our streets and alleys in fear." He continued, "Pickpocketing is not a minor offense. We need to take action against crimes that threaten the safety of citizens, tourists, and businesses."
This proposal was prompted by a recent video that went viral on social media. The video shows an American tourist family in Venice who, after discovering that their AirPods, wallet, and passport had disappeared from their bag, chased down and apprehended three pickpockets themselves.
In the video, the American woman is seen holding onto the hair of a 14-year-old girl, one of the pickpockets, for about an hour until the police arrived. During the struggle, the victim was struck with a bag and suffered a laceration on her forehead. The video became a hot topic, recording about 4 million views on TikTok.
After the police arrived at the scene, two of the pickpocket gang members were arrested, but, as they were minors, they were reportedly released on bail just two days later. The Telegraph pointed out that local crime organizations are exploiting the fact that children under 14 cannot be prosecuted, and are using them for pickpocketing.
There are also loopholes in the judicial process. Even if a pickpocket is brought to trial, the victim must appear in court to testify, but most tourists have already left Venice by then, making it difficult to secure a conviction.
As pickpocketing crimes damage the city's image, local residents have recently hung a banner reading "Pickpocket Alley" near Venice's Rialto Bridge, demanding that authorities crack down more strongly on criminal organizations.
Meanwhile, Italy is notorious for pickpocketing targeting tourists. According to a survey by the British travel insurance company Quotezone, Italy was ranked as the country with the highest risk of pickpocketing among eurozone nations in 2023.
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