Trieste has a reputation of being one of Italy's safest cities possibly due to it being a border city and therefore formerly full of border police and other security services. There are very few problems with regards to walking the streets at night, taking taxis or pick pocketing. Obviously normal precautions should be taken and like elsewhere in Italy be careful of drivers who tend to think that they own the road.
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The region of Friuli Venezia Giulia is officially quadrilingual Italian, Slovene, Ladin and German. Signs are often only italian in Trieste, as the city itself is generally Italian speaking and the local dialect a form of the Venetian language is called Triestine. Surrounding villages and towns are often inhabited by mostly Slovene speakers. Residents, and those working in the city, can easily find free courses to learn Italian or Slovene or German or English and many other languages.