Drop in Pickpocketing

“It was at the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010 that the Police caught some 40 recidivists who had run groups of pickpockets. After their detention and conviction we registered a substantial decrease in pickpocketing,” said the chief of Prague Police Martin Červíček. Over the last five years, the police registered some 10 thousand cases of pickpocketing each year.  Last year, the number was only 7469. Also the recorded harm is significantly lower – from the original 70 million CZK in 2000 to 38 million last year.

Secret of success

The secret of the success in this field is the concentration of forces, number of organization measures and consistent use of all technical means available to the Police. CCTV has proved to be a great help in convicting pickpockets. “Good co-operation of the police officers in the streets and the CCTV operators bears its fruit,” said Štěpánka Tupá, head of one of the anti-pickpocketing teams. At present, the police have four groups specializing in pickpockets. In the past, it used to be so called Pocketteam, which mostly operated in the city centre. At present, the groups work not only in the city centre but also on the outskirts. “Prevention programmes also play their role, however people still behave very carelessly and put their wallets in such places where they are almost asking to be stolen from them,” said one of the policemen.

Situation abroad

Pickpocketing is an issue in all European cities, and as far as Prague is concerned, it unfortunately does not fall behind. The percentage of solved crimes of this type is very low, only 2 percent in Prague. This number even dropped due to the fact that the groups of pickpockets are well organized and very careful, which was not the case in the past. There is a similar tendency in other countries as well.

Risky places

There are several places with increased risk in Prague. In the first place, it is the public transport, especially the metro, where fighting against pickpockets is very difficult. Criminalists are usually soon uncovered due to the very short intervals between individual metro trains. Another favourite place for pickpockets is Prague Castle, especially the entrance to the Golden Lane, St. Vitus Cathedral and at the view spots.  

It is not sex

Drunken men, especially tourists in the city centre, frequently fall prey to pickpockets. Here is a typical situation: a drunk man is walking down the street and is contacted by two or three girls who offer him sexual services and start groping him. When they have picked his pockets, they disappear.

How pickpocket gangs work

70 percent of pickpockets are recidivists. They work in groups of two to ten people. There have been very few soloists in the last few years, those are mostly drug addicts. Organized gangs have their hierarchy. One finds a victim, another one picks the pockets, others do the wall and the rest watch out for a criminalist in disguise. When in the underground, they even jam the door.

Arabs with knives

A specific group is formed by those who steal bags in restaurants and similar places. Arabs often specialize in this type of theft. “They also display another particularity. When arrested, they often pull out a knife. Czech pickpockets are mostly resigned and do not resort to violence,” pointed out Štěpánka Tupá. These thieves are very inventive and are able to steal a bag even when the victim has it beside their leg.

Criminalists in disguise

A big issue for criminalists is not only the fact that the victims, mostly tourists, are not willing to testify but also the fact that they get quickly uncovered. “Many of our colleagues with very short hair sometimes wear wigs.”

Who steals?

Half of all the perpetrators are Czechs, a number of them is ethnically specific. Another group is so called Ostraváci, who belong to a very well dressed and very inconspicuous pickpockets. The other 50 percent are formed by Slovaks, Romanians, Bulgarians, Arabs and the Polish. Bulgarian children have almost disappeared from the scene and the co-operation with Romanian bodies that find out the identity of the thieves is also very good. Ukrainians, Russians and Croatians are mostly exceptions.

Who are victims?

The most frequent victims are Czechs and Slovaks, of course, and then tourists, usually depending on how many of each nationality there are at the moment. These are mostly Brits, Slovaks, Italians, French, Dutch, Americans and Spanish.

Development of cases of pickpocketing and solved cases in Prague:

Source: Prague 1 Police Headquarters