An Italian governor has demanded known pickpockets to be fitted with electronic tags following an explosion in crime in Venice.
Luca Zaia, the Governor of the Veneto region, has said he feels an “obligation to defend the integrity of Venice and all the cities of the Veneto” after tourists have become a target for petty thieves.
Veneto's crimewave has been under public scrutiny in recent weeks following a viral video posted to social media which showed American tourist, Cadieu Greene, track down a gang of teenage thieves and grab one of the girls by her ponytail.
In a new bid to put pressure on the authorities to deal with thieving gangs, local residents in Venice put up a banner reading "Pickpocket Lane" across an alleyway close to the famous Rialto Bridge.
Veneto Governor Luca Zaia has demanded known pickpockets to be fitted with electronic tags
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Mr Zaia said: “Tourists are sacrosanct and it is not acceptable that they have to live in fear of walking along our streets and alleyways, as unfortunately happens in some parts of the city."
The Governor said that courts are currently unable to hand pickpocket gangs "adequate" punishments due to a "chaotic" judicial framework in place.
Mr Zaia, who has served Veneto as its Governor since 2010, argued that fitting thieves with electronic tags would “immediately signal whether the offender is attempting to re-enter an area in which they have already been arrested”.
“We are not talking about minor offences but an entire system that undermines the security of citizens, tourists and businesses," he added.
Local residents in Venice put up a banner reading 'Pickpocket Lane' across an alleyway close to the famous Rialto Bridge (file photo)
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Criminal gangs operating in Venice recruit children to pickpocket tourists due to an Italian law which protects anyone under the age of 14 from prosecution.
If they are made to stand trial, the Italian judicial system requires the victim to give evidence in-person - and the majority of travellers have left the country by the time the case is heard.
Ms Greene, the tourists who featured in the viral video, had her wallet, headphones and passport stolen by the teenage pickpocket gang while on holiday with her husband.
The 50-year-old was able to track down the group by using the "Find My" feature on her phone to find the location of her stolen AirPods, which showed up in an alley near St Mark's Square.
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Criminal gangs operating in Venice recruit children to pickpocket tourists
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The footage showed the American grabbing a 14-year-old girl's ponytail and refusing to let go until the police arrived.
In the video, Ms Greene said: “Something just came over me and I was so angry, and I went after them and grabbed the youngest of the three by the ponytail and wrapped my hand around the ponytail and would not let go.
“One girl stayed [and] another one ran off. I ended up holding her by her ponytail with it wrapped around my hand for 50 minutes.
"She would be screaming at me, cussing at me, and I would scream back and tug harder on her hair.”
Amid the angry confrontation, another member of the criminal gang hit Ms Greene's face with a bag containing a metal bottle, which left her needing medical assistance.
The tourist said: “I was bleeding pretty bad. I had a gash on my head and it was running down my face. It was so much that my bra was soaked with blood.
“The girls were just fighting with the police. It was amazing to see those two little girls fighting so crazy with the police.”
The girls were arrested by the police and charged with theft, but have since been released on bail.