The Georgia Jewelers Association (GJA) has had enough of the rampant crime that’s victimized its member stores in recent years.
 
The Atlanta-based organization—which represents jewelry storeowners from all over the state—has entered into a partnership with Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta that will offer rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of suspects in jewelry store crimes in the state. Crime Stoppers is a community-based organization that promotes citizen involvement in public safety.
 
The collaboration will manifest itself in two ways: When a jewelry crime is committed in Georgia, police will be able to request the posting of a reward for information that may help in solving the crime; the GJA then will have the ability to increase that reward for member stores.
 
“For a number of years we have seen an escalation of crimes against the jewelry community both from the opportunistic criminal and organized groups,” said Jan Fergerson, president of GJA, in a statement. “Most recently and tragically one of our members, [jewelry retailer] Mitch Mobley, lost his life in one of these robberies. It is our hope that the creation of a reward program will encourage these criminals to think twice before committing a crime against a Georgia Jewelers Association member jeweler in the future.”
 
Since its inception in 2007, Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta has received 10,986 tips that have resulted in 650 arrests and 830 cases cleared.

Melissa Rose Bernardo