The number of crimes against U.S. jewelry businesses fell to 1,420 in 2024, compared with 1,621 the year before, according to the Jewelers’ Security Alliance. That represented a 12.4% decrease.
At the same time, total dollar losses from crimes reported to JSA were $142.5 million. That represented a 7% increase from $133.2 million in 2023.
JSA noted in its just-released annual crime statistics report that “dollar losses increased due to a greater severity of losses from sophisticated burglary crews.”
More from the executive summary of the report:
The crime category that experienced the greatest dollar losses in 2024 was on-premises burglaries. In 2024, JSA observed a significant increase in the severity of losses from sophisticated burglaries perpetrated by highly mobile South American Theft Groups (SATGs). Sophisticated burglaries involve increased planning, preparation, and knowledge. JSA defines these as burglaries where entry can be made via the rooftop or a common wall. They also include safe or vault attacks, subjects engaged in organized ruses such as wearing construction vests, the use of construction-grade tools, as well as incidents of power cuts or tampering, and the use of technology such as Wi-Fi jammers. In 2023, JSA received reports of 20 burglaries where subjects gained or attempted to gain entry into a jewelry store via its wall or common wall shared with an adjacent or vacant business. In 2024, JSA received 53 reports of wall-entry burglaries, an increase of 165.0%.
While the frequency of jewelry crimes reported to JSA across its categories of on-premises robberies, burglaries, thefts, and off-premises crimes declined in 2024, dollar losses increased due to a greater severity of losses from sophisticated burglary crews.
The number of off-premises crimes reported to JSA decreased from 100 in 2023 to 47 in 2024, a decrease of 53.0%.
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