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Smash And Grab Robberies Not Just A California Risk February 07, 2022 (0 comments)
New York, NY--The Jewelers Security Alliance (JSA) reports in on the recent outbreak of smash and grab robberies.
The disturbing pattern of smash and grab robberies which JSA has been reporting continues in California with four additional smash and grabs since January 21, 2022. Below, however, are details of three recent smash and grab robberies in GA, NC and TX which demonstrate that this is not just a California risk. Furthermore, in previous recent Weekly Crime Alerts JSA has reported smash and grabs in MD, CO, NM and WA.
Because of the accelerating pattern of these dangerous, violent and terrifying crimes, often with multiple suspects, JSA is including updated recommendations below on smash and grab robberies.
JSA RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Do not resist in a smash and grab robbery. In addition to sledgehammers and other dangerous tools, the suspect(s) may be armed with guns. Stay out of their way!
2. Showcases with burglary-resistant, laminated glass on the front and sides, and special frames, can withstand many blows with a hammer and can prevent or reduce large losses. JSA has not seen robbers take retaliatory action when laminated glass is used and robbers are unable to enter a showcase or are able to take only a small amount of merchandise from a small hole. Furthermore, robbers frequently cut themselves on small holes and leave behind valuable DNA evidence from blood.
3. Having an audible glass breakage alarm on your showcases can scare smash and grab robbers away, who are trying to remain in a target store for less than a minute.
4. Having buzzers on the door can help to keep out potential robbers.
5. Hiring armed, off-duty police officers in the store can be a deterrent to smash and grab robbers.
6. Spreading high end watch and loose diamond merchandise among several showcases, and not concentrated in one showcase, can reduce the amount of the loss in a smash and grab robbery.
7. It can be prudent when smash and grab robbers are particularly active not to display an entire inventory of highly targeted product, such as heavy gold chains, but rather keep some quantity in the safe.
8. Surveillance photos from eye-level cameras inside and outside the store, including of cars in the parking lot, provide excellent evidence for police. Ceiling cameras too often capture useless photos of the top of heads or hats.
9. Keeping a log book of suspicious incidents, and putting aside and saving surveillance video of suspicious incidents, can be a great help in subsequent investigations.
10. Sharing information and photos rapidly among local jewelers and police, and with JSA, regarding casings and suspects can help prevent crime and assist with investigations.
11. Retail jewelry stores in malls should bring to the attention of mall security the pattern of smash and grab jewelry robberies, discussing issues of prevention, coverage by surveillance cameras inside the mall and in the parking lot, and protocols if such a crime occurs.