Crime Fights Back – Pickpockets in Venice, Italy Are Suing The People Who Catch Them in The Act

Wanted in Milan – In the city of canals, where tourists are often targeted by pickpockets, a grassroots group of volunteers calling themselves the “Not Distracted Citizens” has been working to deter theft by filming suspects and warning passersby. Now, in a surprising twist, some of the alleged pickpockets have turned the tables—filing lawsuits against the very citizens who caught them in action.

I'm leaving for my honeymoon in Italy next Monday, so naturally I've been hearing plenty about how pickpockets there are a serious problem. I've read stuff like, "Use a string to attach your wallet to your belt so it can't leave your body". I've had "Ooooh you better watch out for pickpockets!" be the first thing people tell me when I mention how I'm going there. I've been shown this video.

To be fair to Italy, I've come to realize nobody I've spoken to who's actually been there has mentioned the pickpockets. So maybe it's one of those things like here in America when people think the NYC subway system is one constant knife fight. Or that anybody who steps foot in Chicago has a 50% chance of being gunned down in the street by Chief Keef himself. So idk what the real likelihood of getting my pockets picked in Italy are, but I think it's safe to say that pickpockets there (and probably all of Europe) are a bit more of a problem than are here in the states. 

And clearly the pickpockets of Venice feel especially emboldened, considering they're willing to go on record as pickpockets to openly fight for the enforcement of laws that will help preserve the great Italian tradition of robbing people in the street. 

The complaints, lodged in recent weeks, accuse volunteers of stopping people without authorization and filming them without consent, with legal claims that include stalking. The move has sparked debate in Venice, raising questions about where civic duty ends and unlawful behavior begins.

The human brain is capable of doing some crazy things. Like the mental gymnastics to convince yourself that YOU are the person who is being wronged in a situation, despite knowing full-well that you are 100,000% the person at fault. I'm no pickpocket (although gas station candy aisles HATED to see 16-19 year old me coming) but I can't tell you the amount of times I've caught my own brain hyping myself up about how I've been "wronged". Or how I've gotten the short end of the stick at work. Before taking a step back and realizing the thing I'm upset about could have absolutely been prevented (or could be rectified) by my own actions. I think everybody does that to some degree. It's human nature. But most people catch themselves before going to the police with, "This annoying bitch tried to film me without my consent, and all I had was $400 of her money in my pocket".

But for the sake of the blog, if you'll allow me to play devil's advocate and defend the pickpockets for a minute, this group of vigilante justice warriors is led by a woman named Monica Poli. She goes by Lady Pickpocket. Which makes her sound like a master pickpocket herself, but it's actually the opposite. Monica has seemingly made it her life's mission to look out for distracted tourists, and catch thieves in the act. I don't think anybody would argue that Lady Pickpocket isn't on the right side of history. What she's doing is objectively good. 

Venice’s local police chief, Marco Agostini, emphasized that private citizens cannot take on the role of law enforcement. “The absence of clear national rules makes it difficult to respond effectively,” he noted.

Monica Poli, the group’s most visible figure—nicknamed “Lady Pickpocket”—expressed frustration at the legal backlash. “We are on the side of legality, yet somehow we become the guilty ones,” she said.

And I'm not defending the pickpockets here (I'm merely advocating for Satan himself), but I have to admit, Monica is a little bit obnoxious about the whole thing.

"Look at me, I'm Monica, I make Venice a safer place and hold people accountable for their actions. I'm responsible for a third of all pickpocket arrests made in the city. I'm being profiled by a magazine for being more effective than an entire police force." 

Jeez Monica, calm down. I'm just trying to rob this old Chinese woman of all her stuff. No need to make a scene about it. 

Ok I'm not even sure where I was going with that bit. But getting in the mind of a criminal, I can kinda see how Lady Pickpocket chasing you down the street with a camera as she screams bloody murder in your ear (then stops to pose for the New York Times about it) could make a no-good dirty pickpocket completely lose sight of reality and go to the police with, "Are you seeing this shit? This can't be legal, right?" … (here's where the mental gymnastics kick in) … "I literally wasn't even going to rob him! His wallet was sticking out. I was going to push it back in to his pocket. I was going to give him a friendly warning. There's a lot of crazy people out here. If only Monica wasn't harassing the good one's like me. Who knows how many people had their stuff stolen as they were distracted by her ridiculous screaming. We MUST put a stop to her."

And they actually sort of convince even themselves that they're in the right, and that they didn't specifically walk out the door of the hostel they live in that morning with the sole intention of picking as many pockets as possible. Now they're balls deep in a lawsuit as Venice's face of "I'm going to take your shit".

Well played, criminals.