(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK – On Jan. 12, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance held its annual meeting and luncheon at the New York Yacht Club in New York for 170 supporters, law enforcement personnel and industry leaders. At the luncheon it was announced that Steven Kaiser of Kaiser Time had been elected chairperson of JSA for a three-year term, replacing Stewart Wicht of Rolex, who had completed his term.
John Kennedy, president of JSA , began the luncheon with a moment of silence for Helen Buck, who worked for JSA for 37 years and passed away in October 2018, and a moment of silence for the one jeweler who was killed in the U.S. in 2018 during a
robbery.
Kennedy said that in contrast to one jeweler killed in 2018, there were 37 U.S. jewelers killed in 1992, indicating a remarkable decline. He also said that in almost every year since 2000 the total dollar losses from crime against the U.S. jewelry industry hit new lows. He attributed this decline to a powerful War on Jewelry Crime that JSA has helped organize, encourage and promote, and which now includes a network of 3,000 law enforcement personnel and broad representation of the jewelry industry.
He stated that JSA’s network of over 21,000 industry members and supporters extended from the behemoths of the industry like Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co., GIA, JCK, Rolex and Signet, to manufacturers, chains, independents, security firms and mom-and-pop jewelers coast-to-coast.
Newly elected to the JSA Board was Alan Zimmer, CEO of Reeds Jewelers, a chain of 60 fine jewelry stores. Re-elected to three-year terms were: Patti Geo lat of the Geolat Cos.; Chris Hackler of Signet Jewelers; Mark Smelzer of JCK; and David Tearle of GIA. Continuing in their terms on the JSA Board are: Chad Berg of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry; David Bonaparte of Jewelers of America; Marc Green of Lux, Bond & Green; Adam Heyman of Oscar Heyman & Bros.; David Sexton of Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co.; Mark Udell of London Jewelers; Stewart Wicht of Rolex; and Stanley Zale of Stuller.
At the luncheon, JSA presented the Annual Industry Service Award s to Michelle Graff, editor-in-chief of National Jeweler; and Rob Bates, news director of JCK.
Kennedy said that these two journalists had made a valuable contribution to the security of the jewelry industry by helping spread JSA’s information and advice to a wide audience.
JSA also presented the Annual James B. White Law Enforcement Awards to three officers with the Paramus, NJ, Police Department: Deputy Chief Robert M. Guidetti, Detective Lieutenant Frank Scott and Detective Nicholas Luciano. Kennedy stated that these officers had provided valuable service to the jewelry industry by investigating and arresting numerous suspects in over 100 crimes against jewelers totaling millions of dollars.