Crimes Against US Jewelry Industry Down On Year In 2013
March 30, 14
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Total dollar losses, however, rose to $66.5 million last year from $60.2 million in 2012 due to an increased number of million dollar and multi-million dollar crimes, JSA said.
John Kennedy, President of JSA, said, “A relatively few large losses masked the continued great progress that the FBI and local law enforcement has made in helping to reduce jewelry crime in the U.S.
“Last year saw the arrest of 422 criminals who attacked the jewelry industry, including smash and grab robbery gangs, home invasion gangs, murderers and other violent criminals. The increased sharing of crime information by the diamond, jewelry and watch industry has played an important role in this progress.”
The JSA added that on an inflation adjusted basis, using 2013 dollars, the $66.5 million in losses for 2013 represents a 60.3 percent decline since 2003.
There were 40 off-premises losses in 2013, the lowest in at least 30 years, and down from 68 in 2012. By contrast, in 1999 there were 323 off-premises losses, eight times more than in 2013.
The number of burglaries in which criminals entered through the roof increased to 34 in 2013 from 18 in 2012, an increase of 89 percent. Rooftop burglaries increased from 5 percent of the total number of burglaries to 11 percent.
In 2013, there were six killings of jewelers in the U.S. compared to two in 2012. From 1995 to 2000, the average number of yearly homicides of jewelers was 12, while in the early 1990s there were as many as 37 in a year, the JSA said.
Kennedy said that the long-term trends demonstrate the strong progress that has been made, and added, “Jewelers have become more knowledgeable and informed on security each year, but the need for constant vigilance by industry personnel will never go away.”