Many people refer to Monica Poli as the “Batman of Venice” because every day she walks around the streets and finds pickpockets of tourists.
After circling two blocks of houses near the Rialto Bridge, Venice, Monica Poli identified three people intending to pickpocket tourists. “Be careful, pickpockets,” she shouted so loudly that people standing a block away could still hear. After speaking in Italian, she continued to repeat the above content in English and Spanish so that more tourists could understand better.
Everyone stopped their activities and stared at Monica. A tourist approached her and said “thank you” in English. Next, French tourist Alessandro Lavardato praised the good deed she had just done. Lavardato is one of more than 600,000 people following Monica on Instagram. “I appreciate the work Monica is doing and the help she gives to tourists,” Lavardato said.
Poli (far right) is a popular figure with locals in Venice. Image: CNN
Monica Poli is a 58-year-old Venetian who spends most of her free time patrolling the streets, looking for pickpockets. When she posted her first video warning tourists on TikTok in June 2023, the video quickly attracted 69 million views even though she is currently no longer using this social network.
Monica’s voice is considered “strong” by many people. As she shouted a warning and watched the pickpockets run away, many people applauded her. “Good job, Monica,” a passerby said loudly.
Monica said Venica has about 100 male pickpockets who often act alone. Her and other volunteers’ duty is to remember all their faces to warn tourists.
Even though she works for free and is an ordinary person, Monica is remembered by many tourists and is considered a shining star of the city. When she walks into stores or bars, people still recognize her and approach her to chat and compliment her.
On Instagram, Monica mainly posts videos about the rising problem of petty crime in Italy. According to a report from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in September, theft on public transportation has grown continuously since 2021. 2023 witnessed the highest number of theft cases in the past 10 years. On average, theft on trains nationwide increased by 21% compared to last year, with theft in Venice alone reaching nearly 40%. In particular, thefts taking place on buses in Venice increased by 78%, thefts on trains increased by 81% and on subways increased by 94% compared to the same period 10 years ago.
Venice is always crowded with tourists in public places and even pickpockets. Image: CNN
Local newspaper Il Gazzettino said in November that Venice “seems to become a gold mine” for pickpockets. Narrow, crowded streets have created a “favorable working environment” for crooks. Their targets are often international visitors.
Many people have given Monica the nickname Batman, the one who protects the city silently.
Monica recalls the 1990s, when she was working at a clothing store and witnessed tourists bewildered by stolen wallets. She then joined the volunteer group Cittadini Non Distratti, which now has nearly 50 people. Over the past 30 years, the group has often been on duty to keep an eye out for pickpockets, petty thieves and other illegal acts in the city.
Like other volunteers, Monica often patrols the streets in her free time. She said that even when she was coming home from the supermarket and encountered a pickpocket, she was ready to chase them.
Monica’s kind actions also put her in a difficult situation when the bad guys retaliated. She had her phone snatched and attacked in March, was pepper sprayed in June, and received many threats to “take care of yourself”. Monica is not afraid of these actions, but she increases her vigilance and is more careful every time she performs a mission.
Monica wasn’t the only one who suffered retaliation. Many people in the group were also attacked, many had to be hospitalized or were threatened with knives by bad guys. Even so, she still goes out almost every day to secretly watch for tourists. Every time she goes out, she often wears a hood to cover her face and constantly glances around to find suspicious people.
What saddened Monica most recently was not the retaliation of the bad guys, but the failure to promptly help an elderly tourist from being pickpocketed. Thieves often attack the most vulnerable, such as the elderly, women, and children, and this makes her uncomfortable.
Monica (black shirt) often receives thanks from the elderly, vulnerable people who are often followed and pickpocketed by bad guys. Image: CNN
Europol, the European Union’s Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, says many professional pickpocketing groups are active in tourist areas such as Venice, Barcelona or Paris.
Answering the question “how to recognize a pickpocket”, Monica said this is a waste of time. She discovered them because she saw those faces every day. Instead of looking for bad guys, Monica advises tourists to focus on protecting personal assets, such as keeping bags of valuables inside their jackets, putting cash and cards in one bag and identification documents in another pocket as well. like not leaving anything behind, even if it has no value.
“This is my mission,” she said of her job of tracking pickpockets and stopping them in their tracks.