A weekly roundup of
jewelry store crimes with related tips from JCK.

– A Bayonne, N.J., jewelry store owner lost $2,800 during a
bait-and-switch scam on July 2, according
to a local news source. Two suspects entered Ridge Gold on July 2 to sell
two gold necklaces. The owner offered $2,800 for the jewelry after inspecting
the merchandise. One suspect made a counter-offer of $3,000, which the owner
refused. The suspects accepted the original offer and the store owner realized
the pieces left at the store were reproductions.

The Jewelers’ Security
Alliance Manual suggests being extremely suspicious of anyone who you do
not know who approaches you unsolicited when buying goods off the street.

– A Clifton Park, N.Y., jewelry store lost $70,000 in
merchandise when two suspects broke into the store overnight on July 4, according
to the Times Union. Two suspects reportedly
broke a window at Glennpeter Jewelers at 3:15 a.m., filled bags with merchandise, and left the store through the broken window. New York State Police
reviewed surveillance video and have descriptions of the suspects.

According to the The
Jewelers’ Security Alliance Manual, glass is the weakest point of a jeweler’s
security system. The Manual suggests conferring with an expert security consultant familiar with the security
concerns of a jeweler when choosing the proper glazing material for glass.
Glazing material rated by Underwriters Laboratories should be used.

– Police in Riverside County, Calif., arrested four men on
July 5 suspected in connection to a theft that occurred at a Palm Desert,
Calif., jewelry store on July 1. According to a Riverside County Sheriff press
release, the suspects used a replica weapon to take an undisclosed amount of jewelry.
A Palm Desert police officer pursed the suspect in a high-speed chase. The
suspects were seen throwing objects from the vehicle. Police recovered most of
the stolen items and the simulated weapon.

JCK