Why Bother?

Jeffrey, With only a few Euro's involved, I probably wouldn't bother reporting it either. There's really no point. You'll never see the money again, nor can you identify the culprits. Even if a miracle occurred and the perpetrators were arrested, that would involve court time and testimony, which is not something the average traveller would be able to do. The thieves know that there's virtually no possibility they'll ever be convicted. If the theft involved an expensive Camera or other gear, a Police report is necessary for the insurance claim, so that's an entirely different situation. Hopefully you won't have any further problems.

No, the front pocket is no where near as safe as I've always thought. Not only did I not feel anything, I had a partial packet of Kleenex in the pocket with the wallet. The Kleenex was still there! It didn't ruin the trip, just killed almost two hours phoning two credit card companies.

Good thing they only stole a few euro otherwise your vacation could have been ruined. The Italians are the masters of pickpocketing. We've had a few problems with thieves in Roma, but fortunately, the only thing they acquired were some bruises from me. Italian pickpockets practice the bank robber Willie Sutton philosophy of thievery. When asked why he robbed banks he responded, "Because that's where they keep the money." The pickpockets know tourists have valuables and probably won't return to press charges. I have never visited Naples except for stopping on the train. My parents were Calabrese and never had anything good to say about the city, so I never felt compelled to investigate further. Buon viaggio,

I would reiterate Ken's point that the only practical reason to file a police report is if you plan to file an insurance claim for the stolen item(s). Most insurance policies require it.

Let's be careful with the sweeping generalizations, such as "The Italians are the masters of pickpocketing." I'm assuming it should say something more like "The best pickpockets can be found in Italy." But there's a huge difference between those two statements. And Jeffrey, I agree with your decision not to file a police report. Why bother, indeed? Just think of the time you'd waste filing the report, when you could be out enjoying Italy. Thanks for posting your experience here so others can see the importance of being prepared for just such an incident. I hope it didn't ruin your vacation.

Great post since it reinforces the idea that the front pocket is not safe. May be safer than a back pocket but still can be hit under the right circumstances.

Jeffrey, A few more comments..... This is a good reason why I always use a Money Belt, and a good reminder that anyone travelling in that area should at least think about doing the same. Regardless of which nationality is more proficient in the "art" of pickpocketing, I've also been warned about travelling in Napoli by numerous Italians. One woman said that her family forbids her from even going there! The most frequent comment that I hear is "be careful in Napoli". To be fair I've never experienced problems there, even walking about day and night carrying an expensive DSLR. That's not to say that it's completely safe, but just that I haven't experienced any thefts (so far). For those that have a "free" 45-minutes, you might find it interesting to watch This Video. It's a bit of an "eye opener". Cheers!

Great video Ken and a real eye opener. Thanks for sharing. It makes me question - what is really the safest place to keep my money and cards while traveling? Looks like these guys could even get into a money belt. --------------
But I do love Naples!!

Ken, thanks for sharing the video link. Quite an eye opener. I still plan on spending a morning in Naples @ the Archeological Museum before heading to Pompeii. Will only have my travel purse (worn in front, across the chest) and of course, my money belt. Ciao!

Ken, I appreciate very much the video you shared. It's important information to be aware of. Grazie!
Ruth

Michael, thank you for your reply above!!! You took the words right out of my mouth !

I'm pleased that the video link was useful information. Despite the material in the video, I'd have no hesitation at all in returning to Naples. During my travels, I try to remember that there are very proficient pickpockets not only in Naples but also in other parts of Italy as well as other countries in Europe (Prague and Barcelona also have somewhat of a "reputation"). I try to use good theft prevention measures (Money Belt, situational awareness, etc.) wherever I go. One of the best forms of theft protection is education and awareness, which is a good benefit of this forum. Cheers!

Just a little story that kinda goes along with this:
Two years in Italy we've never had a problem. No picked pockets, no scams. I always wear my money belt but usually keep 50/60 euro wrapped up around a credit card in my front pocket. We were in Athens last week and staying near Monastiraki square. Walking back from the square one night with some take away dinner I had 3 girls rush up to me, one holding something out for me. Now, I'm usually aware and don't take anything from anyone but my gaurd was down from having a great day and, like an idiot, I just grabbed the wilted little flower she was holding out. Of course she wanted money. She started talkingto me, in between asking for more money (I had given her about a euro in change). The point being she had me very distracted. This night all I had on me was a few euro in change to pay for my meal. Had left everything else in the hotel room since it was a five minute walk roundtrip. I don't know if it was the case or not but after I got back to the room I realized she had me so distracted that it was possible someone else could have been looking to lighten my pockets. That street is very crowded. Re-enforced the always be aware lesson though. Oh yeah, after I wouldn't give her any more change she reached over and plucked the flower out of my hand and walked away. LOL!

Back to the original question about what's the point of reporting it: If everyone reported every pick pocket incident, the police might actually get an idea of how bad a problem it is. Their crime statistics would show what the worst areas are. And then they might do something about it. Otherwise, it's all just an urban legend. The Line 1 metro in Paris is known for being the tourist/pickpocket line. Last summer I saw police officers riding the line and watching. I've seen police officers making a group of three girls empty their pockets right outside a metro stop on line 1. Although it's just "petty crime" I do believe it needs to be stopped and am glad to see some action.

One point to add to my previous comments. Pickpockets don't just operate in cities. I've encountered travellers from the U.S. who were victimized while riding the trains in the Cinque Terre. Unfortunately, they "let their guard down" and assumed it was a nice tranquil area. I asked the "locals" about the situation and they said that professional thieves from Genoa routinely "work" the trains, so theft is a recurring problem. One of the girls in the group had her Passport "nicked" and I don't even want to think about how much trouble it was to get that replaced. Despite this type of thefts, I still have no concerns about travelling in Europe.