It’s a scene that has become all too familiar in the world of retail: thieves daringly break store windows and doors at lightning speed, then make off with high-value, easy-to-steal products.
Jewelry stores have become the target of many of these thieves. And they don’t just use hammers: in a recent case in Mississauga, Ontario, a vehicle crashed into the store as thieves ran to get inside.
These audacious crimes became more common after the COVID-19 pandemic and increased last year, said Scott Hayes, security adviser for Jewelers Vigilance Canada, a non-profit arm of the Canadian Jewelers Association.
Now, Jewelers Vigilance Canada is preparing to meet with its members to address the issue amid a rise in thefts in Ontario. The meeting date has not yet been set, but will include presentations from police and insurance companies.
I can tell you that merchants, especially in the retail sector, are definitely concerned.– Scott Hayes, Jewelers Watch of Canada
“I can tell you that merchants, especially in the retail sector, are definitely concerned,” Hayes said. “We’re seeing them start to enact or implement different security protocols. Some are security glass or controlled access through security glazing. [forced entry-resistant security glazing]. “There are many other things that can be done.”
The London Police Service (LPS) would not publish burglary figures from 2024 without a formal freedom of information request at the cost of $150. In 2025, two local incidents have been reported.
Toronto police told CBC News that jewelry store robberies have more than doubled in the last year. In the regional municipality of Peel, police said, robberies have more than tripled, and in York Region they have almost doubled.
As the GTA continues to see a rise in jewelry store robberies, CBC’s Dale Manucdoc spoke to owners operating businesses during this recent spike.
Giving some of the reasons for the increase in crimes in jewelry stores, Hayes said that they are high-value items that are easily transportable and can be easily transferred for cash because the price of gold and precious stones is stable throughout the world. world.
The nature of thefts is becoming more threatening and violent toward employees, he said. Instead of simply smashing and grabbing, thieves are beginning to force store staff to access or attempt to access other jewelry in various areas of the store.
“As far as the general public goes, I haven’t seen it yet, but my experience is that as the criminal use of violence continues, the level of violence that they are willing to use tends to increase,” Hayes said.
Among the merchants concerned about thefts is Mandeep Singh, owner of My Dream Jewelers.
Call on police and governments to be tougher on crime.
“If someone robbed the store and the police caught the thieves, the next day they will be released,” he said. “We have to set some stricter rules to feel safe.”
Some of the high-profile events that have occurred in London lately include:
- January 7: Four men dressed in dark clothing were seen trying to force their way into a jewelery shop on Wharncliffe Road South by damaging the outside window of the business. They were unable to gain entry and fled the business in a white van which was later seen driving dangerously close to Tillsonburg, east London.
- On January 9, around 8:10 p.m., four masked men entered White Oaks Mall on Wellington Road carrying hammers. They smashed the display cases of a jewelry store inside the shopping center and stole an undisclosed amount of jewelry. Two of the suspects in that incident were arrested when they tried to flee on foot. A 28-year-old man from Ottawa and a 28-year-old man from Toronto have been charged. Two other suspects who fled the scene in a vehicle are at large.
Investigations into both cases are continuing, London police said Friday. They are asking anyone who may have information, dash cam or cell phone footage or surveillance video to contact them.
