The thieves target jewelers in malls, passing up high-end
merchandise,
WASHINGTON - Jewel thieves in hooded sweat shirts have hit nearly
five dozen stores from New Hampshire to North Carolina in the past 2
1/2 years, eluding capture with an efficient operation that has
netted $5.1 million in men’s watches, chains, bracelets and rings,
the FBI said Thursday. The thieves target jewelers in malls, passing
up high-end merchandise, FBI officials said at a news conference.
The FBI has set up a telephone hot line, 1-800-225-5324, and is
offering a $25,000 reward.
They’re not just getting the jewelry shops in malls, either. In New
York, they stalk jewelers or dealers who are carrying merchandise
from one location to another, and divest them of their goods en
route, or as they reach their destination. Some thieves wait at
jewelers’ homes and rob them as they arrive with the goods.Bank
robberies are up this year, too. It’s a sign that the economy here is
not doing as well as the media would have us believe. When prosperity
is pretty universal, crime is minimal. The people who are stealing
the mall jewelry know that they have a very good market for their hot
goods with much less chance of getting caught than if they tried to
peddle high end stuff, which is easier to trace. I wonder how many
people…vendors and buyers…are going to get ripped off at Tucson
this season. It’s a time for great vigilance.
In New York, they stalk jewelers or dealers who are carrying
merchandise from one location to another, and divest them of their
goods en route, or as they reach their destination
I was thinking about this the last time I took the train into the
city to buy beads. I only carry about 1000.00 worth of material home
at a time, but the thieves don’t know that. How can I protect myself?
I travel only along the better avenues and I try to be vigilant. Any
other suggestions?
A few post-911 months ago, I was going to New York with a friend. We
found it disconcerting that there were so many National Guardsmen,
police officers, and transit authority workers in Grand Central. We
also were quite shocked when we walked past a line-up of about 20
officers dressed in what looked like S.W.A.T. uniforms. Pith
helmets, AK-47’s and everything. They were all lined up in front of
bank. It’s an imposing sight and I don’t think I would have made any
trips to the ATM that day.
What made me nervous this last time I went (about a month ago) was
the total lack of officers anywhere. No State Police on the train. No
National Guard. Nothing. I feel a little weird talking about this,
but it’s not like it’s a secret.
Kimberly- well you could try to make yourself appear as though you
are not carrying jewelry. times when i go to the bank to add or
remove things ill put them in a grocery bag you know one of those el
cheapo plastic ones that the milk or other juice cartons fall thru
the minite they get caught on somthing. so when the would be robber
tries to tear it from your grip and it spills on the ground i doubt
she/he will stop to pick up the goods while you are standing there
calling out in despair - goo
For several years, my wife and I strung pearls for a couple hundred
stores around the country. In July and August, a chain of stores
whose headquarters was a few miles from my home in Indy at the time,
would hand us dozens and dozens of hanks of temporary strung
cultured pearls to string for Christmas for their several stores.
Many times my wife would walk from their headquarters in downtown
Indy to the parked car a few blocks away, carrying as much as
$100,000 in temp strung pearls, in a rather worn looking coffee pot
box. Noone suspected what was in the box. She simply looked like any
other downtown office girl, carrying a cardboard box. The building
that she came from had multiple companies in it and she was always
let out a door that didnt indicate where she just came from, so noone
was any wiser. So if you simply act like nothing is out of the
ordinary, chances are extremely good that noone will ever notice
anything outside of their own little world. Be aware of who and what
is around you, and dont do anything obviously stupid, and you will be
just fine.
I can recommend a website that walks the viewer through a series of
steps to improve security when traveling with goods. This was
designed for diamond merchants but it applies to anyone. The site is
extremely easy to use and it only takes about one minute to sign up.
It’s sponsored by Jewelers Mutual Insurance company and approved by
the Jewelers Security Alliance.
There’s a course of lessons to follow, at your own pace; if you have
five minutes to spend, that’s fine. You pick up each time where you
left off.