Headlines

Thanks to Crack Police Work, Crime Against Jewelry Stores Takes a Dive

Published

8 years ago

March 9, 2016

INSTORE Staff

Arrests of two major smash-and-grab robbery gangs help bring theft rate down in 2015.

The Jewelers’ Security Alliance has released its 2015 Annual Crime Report covering crime against the jewelry industry in the U.S, which offers some pretty encouraging facts and figures.

The report says that the total number of crimes dipped from 1,381 in 2014 to 1,177 in 2015, marking a decrease of 14.7 percent. Total dollar losses also decreased from $77.8 million in 2014 to $69.3 million in 2015, a decrease of 10.9 percent.

In a release announcing the report, the JSA credits these declines to information sharing and the work of the FBI and local law enforcement agencies, pointing to the arrests of two major smash-and-grab robbery gangs in the first half of 2015. As a result of these arrests, there were half as many smash-and-grab robberies in the second half of 2015 (24) as in the first half of 2015 (48). For the full year 2015, smash-and-grab robberies numbered 72 compared to 110 in 2014.

“While the diamond, jewelry and watch industry is still a dangerous business, nevertheless, the long-term trend in jewelry crime is still firmly down,” says JSA President John Kennedy. “The significant decline that JSA has seen in crime is due to the greater sharing of crime information within the industry and with law enforcement, and from the terrific cooperation that the industry receives from the FBI and local law enforcement agencies.”

Check out JSA’s full report here.

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”