Unmasked: Jewelry "Grab and Runs" Down by a Third
April 24, 24
(IDEX Online) - The number of "grab and run" thefts at US jewelry stores fell by a third in 2023 - as the end of Covid made it more difficult for criminals to wear a facemask.
It was the crime category that saw the biggest fall, according to the 2023 Crime Report, published by the Jewelers' Security Alliance (JSA).
Grab and run thefts - the most common crime against jewelers - fell from 984 in 2022, when facemasks were still commonplace, to 663 in 2023. The average loss from a grab ad run was $10,389.
Overall the number of crimes against jewelry firms fell sharply from an all-time high of 2,211 in 2022, down 27 per cent to 1,621. But the total dollar losses increased by 2.9 per cent to $133.2m.
"While the number of crimes requiring minimal skills by criminals and resulting in relatively small losses declined in 2023, the increase in dollar losses can be attributed to highly professional criminals and organized gangs carrying out high-dollar crimes resulting in large losses," said JSA.
There was an increase in the percentage of violent robberies (24 per cent) and armed robberies (33 per cent).