The Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA) has released its 2024 Annual Crime Report, revealing that U.S. jewelry businesses experienced $142.5 million in crime-related losses last year—a 7% increase over 2023—even as the number of criminal incidents declined. The report documents 1,420 crimes in 2024, down 12.4% from 1,621 in 2023.
The rise in losses is attributed to a concentration of high-value burglaries and increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics, targeting established businesses across the country.
Burglaries Drive Losses with Advanced Methods
On-premises burglaries accounted for the largest share of total losses, with reported losses rising 108% year-on-year to $80.7 million. The JSA reported a significant increase in structured, methodical operations, including a 165% increase in wall-entry burglaries.
Many of these burglaries were carried out by organised crews, including South American Theft Groups (SATGs), using signal jamming devices, cutting tools, and deceptive methods such as posing as construction workers.
“We are seeing more elaborate tech-savvy burglaries, against high-end, established business, and these hits are doing big numbers,” Guginsky said. “They are hitting the elite of the elite of the industry.”
Robbery and Theft Patterns Show Variability
Robberies fell 11.3% in 2024 but still resulted in $30.9 million in losses. The proportion of robbery incidents involving firearms declined to 19.6%, down from 32.8% in the previous year. Smash-and-grab incidents saw a slight decrease, while grab-and-run thefts remained the most frequent form of theft, accounting for 65.1% of theft cases and averaging $9,713 per incident.
Robberies were most likely to occur on Thursdays, with January being the month with the highest number of incidents. The most common time for robberies was between 5 and 6 p.m., followed by noon to 1 p.m. The percentage of robberies involving violence dropped to 16.9%, from 24.3% in 2023.
Off-Premises Crimes Decline Sharply
Off-premises crimes—including those targeting traveling salespeople, exhibitors, and jewelers outside store premises—fell by 53% in 2024, with 47 incidents reported compared to 100 in 2023. Despite fewer cases, these incidents resulted in $18.5 million in losses.
Nearly 45% of the reported off-premises incidents involved exhibitors at trade shows. The JSA attributes the reduction in off-premises cases in part to fewer traveling salespeople and improved coordination between law enforcement and the industry.
Fatalities and Industry Impact
Four homicides involving jewelers were reported in 2024, the highest number since 2017.
“The circumstances in last year’s homicides were very unusual and tragic compared to what we’ve seen in the past,” said Guginsky, noting that the alleged perpetrators in two of the incidents were known to be customers of the victims.
No homicides have been reported in 2025 to date. The last year without a reported fatality in the industry was 2019.
Security Developments and Resources
The evolving tactics reported—such as the use of remote surveillance and signal interference—underscore the importance of updating security protocols to reflect current threats.
The JSA’s 2024 Crime Report, which includes detailed crime data and prevention strategies, is available on its website for industry reference.
A seminar addressing security issues in the industry, including presentations by JSA and insurance representatives, is scheduled for June 5 at the JCK Las Vegas show.
