Jewelers’ Security Alliance Presents Police and Loss Prevention Awards

The group held its annual luncheon in New York.

(Press Release) NEW YORK – The Jewelers’ Security Alliance on Jan. 14 held its annual luncheon at the Harmonie Club in New York for 170 supporters, law enforcement personnel and industry leaders.

John Kennedy, president of JSA, began the luncheon with a moment of silence for the six jewelers killed in the U.S. in 2016, and for Detective Steven McDonald, a New York Police Department hero who had passed away during the week. Kennedy also recognized and thanked three women who had announced their retirement from their positions as CEOs of industry trade organizations: Cecilia Gardner of JVC, Ruth Batson of AGS and Dione Kenyon of JBT. Kennedy described them as friends and advisers to many in the industry.

At the luncheon JSA presented the 12th Annual Industry Service Award to Bill Lane, divisional vice president for loss prevention and internal audit at Birks Group Inc. Kennedy said Lane was one of the most experienced and respected jewelry loss prevention executives in the U.S., and that he had worked closely with JSA for many years, providing valuable assistance.

JSA presented the 18th Annual James B. White Law Enforcement Awards to five veteran detectives with the New York Police Department who handled many of the most important jewelry cases in New York over several decades and also assisted other law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. and around the world. The award recipients were:

Detective 1st Grade Armando Coutinho, FBI/NYPD Cyber Financial Task Force.

Detective 2nd Grade Anthony Curtin, Joint Bank Robbery/Violent Crimes Task Force.

Detective 1st Grade Anthony Diaz, Major Case Squad.

Detective 1st Grade Michael Dorto, Major Case Squad.

Detective 2nd Grade Rigel Zeledon, Financial Crimes Organized Theft Squad.

Also at the luncheon, Chad Berg, a vice president at Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry based in Louisiana, was newly elected to the JSA Board.

Re-elected to three-year terms were David Bonaparte of Jewelers of America; Marc Green of Lux, Bond and Green; Mark Udell of London Jewelers; and Stewart Wicht of Rolex U.S.A who is in his second year as chairperson of JSA. Continuing in their terms on the JSA Board are David Cornstein of Circa, Patti Geolat of Geolat Cos., Adam Heyman of Oscar Heyman & Brothers, Steven Kaiser of Kaiser Time, Alan Kleinberg of Eloquence, Sheldon Kwiat of Kwiat, David Sexton of Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co., Mark Smelzer of JCK, David Tearle of GIA and Kevin Valentine of Signet.

During remarks at the luncheon, JSA Chairman Stewart Wicht cited the accomplishments of JSA during 2016. He noted that JSA had 14,000 members in 20,000 locations, and had a network of 3,000 cooperating law enforcement personnel throughout the U.S. He added that JSA worked with 60 local crime prevention networks, and in 2016 issued Crime Alerts on 133 suspects. Wicht thanked law enforcement for their cooperation with JSA.

Kennedy ended his remarks by stating that JSA could not be effective without the cooperation it received from law enforcement agencies, such as the NYPD, the support it received from JSA members and generous contributors, and the attention that crime received in the trade media. JSA is a non-profit trade association providing crime prevention information and services to the jewelry industry.