According to the International Association of Pick-Pockets, the revenues of the pick-pocketing industry are down 21% since last November, and projected to drop another 13% in the next year due to the recession. But despite the decline in revenue, there has been a substantial increase in the workforce. The IAPP states that there are 15% more pick-pockets internationally than there were in June of last year. At the iapp conference in Rome last week, prominent pick-pockets from around the globe discussed the issues.
"The average annual income of a pick-pocket in Europe was 37,000 Euros in January 2008, but that is down to 25,500 since November," said Alfonzo Amadassi, the president of the Italian Pick-Pockets Association which hosted the conference this year. "People just don't carry that much cash around anymore." a study done by the iapp in January 2009 shows that the average money made pick-pocketing one person has dropped 26% since 2008, from $21.36 to $15.81. The numbers are also down in Europe where it dropped from 18.25 to 13.51.
The keynote speaker at the conference, Fabio Barros, the vice president of the united Brazilian pick-pockets, spoke on how struggling pick-pockets around the globe can increase their incomes. "New techniques must be explored, such as the help-an-old-lady-cross-the-street-and-take-her-money technique, and the knock-down-a-person-with-a-lot-of-stuff-and-offer-to-help-them-pick-it-up-so-you-can-take-some-of-it technique. These techniques must be perfected and taught to pick-pockets around the world to ensure the success of the industry." He said that the IAPP should hold clinics in countries around the world to make sure "that all pick-pockets are adequately trained." he also added that "some of these young pick-pockets just don't understand, you have to take their money without them noticing. We need to change that"

By Aaron Godine

According to KRON4 news a deadly disease has emerged again known as the swine flu. It is a disease that is caused by when human blood and infected pig blood come in contact. This disease is highly contagious, and has currently spread through the nation. The disease spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth. Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food.