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Neenah, WI—In the first six months of 2012, almost 160 jewelry stores reported robberies, totaling nearly $20 million in losses, according to the latest crime statistics from Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA). And with the holiday season almost here, robbers are looking to take advantage of a time when jewelers' inventories are likely to be high and busy employees may be more easily distracted.

While some robberies are unavoidable, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company offers some tips to prevent some of them and recover if you are targeted. Here are JM’s tips:

How to prevent robberies at your store. The best way to prevent a robbery is to recognize when your store is being cased, and take immediate action. Your store may be a robbery target if a customer:

• Appears nervous or fidgety,
• Asks unusual questions, such as how many employees are working there,
• Is vague about what he or she is looking for,
• Looks around the store, rather than at the jewelry,
• Is outside your normal customer profile (clothing, age, gender, jewelry interests), and/or
• Doesn’t want to give his or her name.

How to react if your store is being cased:

• Alert other employees by using a pre-established code word or phrase.
• Make more employees visible on the sales floor.
• One employee should visibly leave the store to observe from a safe distance. This employee should have a cell phone and be prepared to call police.
• Call the police or mall security and ask them to visit your business as soon as possible.
• Have visible security cameras that are operational and maintained.
• Notify your local crime prevention network. To learn more, contact JSA at 800-537-0067 or jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org.

Recovering from a robbery. Even when all precautions are taken and employees remain alert, robberies still happen. If a robbery occurs at your store, make sure that you and your staff observe the following:

• Do not resist.
• Cooperate. Obey the robber's orders.
• Do not reach for a holdup button or phone while the robber is present and may see you.
• Avoid eye contact with the robber.

Immediately after a robbery, do the following:

• Lock the door as soon as robbers have left. Take care of customers who were in the store.
• Call the police.
• Write down as many details as possible about the incident and the robbers. You will quickly forget little details that are valuable to assist police in capturing the criminals.

For more security information from Jewelers Mutual, visit JewelersMutual.com and click on the Security & Safety button in the Business section. To learn more about coverage options and to find an agent in your area, contact Jewelers Mutual at (800) 558-6411.