Meet Monica Poli, 58-year-old woman known for fighting crime on streets of Venice | Trending

Venice’s winding streets and iconic canals have always attracted millions of tours, but they’ve also become a hunting ground for pickpockets. Monica Poli, a 58-year-old Venetian, is taking matters into her own hands, earning fame for her public warnings to unsuspecting visitors. She shouts her trademark phrase, ‘Attenzione, pickpocket!’ (Representative Image)(Pexel) Within two blocks of starting her patrol near Venice’s Rialto Bridge, Poli identified three individuals she believed to be pickpockets. She shouted her trademark phrase, “Attenzione, pickpocket!” in Italian, English, and Spanish, ensuring tours near were alerted, reported CNN. Her actions often stop passers in their tracks, with many thanking her. One French tour expressed gratitude, saying, “These pickpockets are a real problem.” Poli, a member of the volunteer group Cittadini Non Dratti (“Undracted Citizens”), spends her spare time patrolling Venice’s crowded streets, looking out for pickpockets. Her efforts, which began decades ago, gained global attention in June 2023 when she posted her first video on social media. That video, which garnered 69 million views on TikTok, propelled her to internet stardom. Today, she has over 605,000 followers on Instagram, and her videos have been widely shared across platforms. Her signature warning — “attenzione pickpocket, attenzione borseggiatori” — has even been remixed into songs and used in protest videos. Petty crime on the rise in VeniceAccording to a September 2024 report from Italy’s Interior Minry, thefts on public transport have surged since 2021, with 2023 recording the highest numbers in a decade. Train thefts nationwide increased 21%, but in Venice, they skyrocketed 38.8%. Most victims are foreign tours, who accounted for 94% of thefts on Venice’s metro, 81% on trains, and 78% on buses, reported CNN. A December 2022 law, the riforma Cartabia (Cartabia reform), is seen as a contributing factor to the rise. It requires victims to file formal reports for pickpockets to be prosecuted. If the victim doesn’t appear at the subsequent trial, charges are dropped. “The Cartabia reform was implemented to streamline Italy’s judicial process,” explained Vincenzo Senatore, senior partner at Giambrone Law. “However, it has faced criticism for potentially enabling pickpockets to evade prosecution.” Also Read: Women barred from entering Seville Cathedral for wearing short skirt in Spain Poli believes the reform makes tours easy targets, as they are unlikely to return to Venice for court hearings. Venice, which sees an estimated 30 million visitors annually compared to its under-50,000 local population, has become a hotspot for pickpockets. In 2019, 82 arrests were made in Venice. In 2024, only two arrests were recorded as of November. A lifelong missionPoli’s dedication to combating pickpocketing dates back to the 1990s when she worked in a Venice clothing store popular with Japanese tours. “It was when pickpocketing first started — people knew Asian travelers carried lots of cash,” she said. The dress of customers who realized their wallets were missing motivated her to join Cittadini Non Dratti. The group, founded in the 1990s, has around 50 active members, including those in the tour and transport industries. Poli often patrols the streets even during routine errands, dropping everything to chase suspected pickpockets. “I think I do it out of a sense of civic pride,” she said. Also Read: Chinese man arrested for posing as delivery rider with ba to win online sympathy Poli’s mission has not been without challenges. She has been physically attacked, pepper-sprayed, and threatened since she began posting videos. Despite the risks, she continues her efforts, saying, “This is my mission.”