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Susan Jacques, Miami Detective Honored at JSA Luncheon
The annual event took place March 19 at the New York Yacht Club after being postponed from January due to COVID-19.
GIA President and CEO Susan Jacques (pictured) received JSA’s Industry Service Award while the James B. White Award went to Detective Robert Lanier of the Miami Beach Police Department. Both received their awards at JSA’s annual luncheon on March 19.
New York—For the first time since 2020, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance held its annual luncheon in person, honoring members of the jewelry industry and law enforcement who contribute to crime prevention.
The organization’s 23rd annual James B. White Award to Law Enforcement—an award named for the former longtime JSA president who died in 2002—went to Detective Robert Lanier of the Miami Beach Police Department.
JSA described Lanier as “an important resource for police throughout the U.S. concerning violent jewelry crime in South Florida.”
In his 32 years with the department, the detective has investigated numerous violent jewelry store robberies and attacks on traveling jewelry salespersons. He’s also led or participated in numerous Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, cases that resulted in arrests.
Lanier has worked on assignment in the FBI’s Miami field office and participated in undercover work related to the JIS shows in Miami Beach.
JSA’s 17th annual Industry Service Award went to Susan Jacques, president and CEO of the Gemological Institute of America.
Jacques received the award for her support of a program that, Kennedy noted, does not receive a lot of publicity in the industry but is important to law enforcement.
GIA provides in-depth training on gemology and the jewelry industry to FBI and local law enforcement officers, a free service it’s been providing for years.
At the luncheon, Kennedy and two FBI veterans said these classes have trained hundreds of law enforcement personnel over the years, increasing their ability, and their understanding and interest in jewelry crime.
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The organization’s 23rd annual James B. White Award to Law Enforcement—an award named for the former longtime JSA president who died in 2002—went to Detective Robert Lanier of the Miami Beach Police Department.
JSA described Lanier as “an important resource for police throughout the U.S. concerning violent jewelry crime in South Florida.”
In his 32 years with the department, the detective has investigated numerous violent jewelry store robberies and attacks on traveling jewelry salespersons. He’s also led or participated in numerous Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, cases that resulted in arrests.
Lanier has worked on assignment in the FBI’s Miami field office and participated in undercover work related to the JIS shows in Miami Beach.
JSA’s 17th annual Industry Service Award went to Susan Jacques, president and CEO of the Gemological Institute of America.
Jacques received the award for her support of a program that, Kennedy noted, does not receive a lot of publicity in the industry but is important to law enforcement.
GIA provides in-depth training on gemology and the jewelry industry to FBI and local law enforcement officers, a free service it’s been providing for years.
At the luncheon, Kennedy and two FBI veterans said these classes have trained hundreds of law enforcement personnel over the years, increasing their ability, and their understanding and interest in jewelry crime.
JSA’s annual luncheon took place March 19 at the New York Yacht Club, the same day as the 24 Karat Club of New York City’s banquet and the day after the Jewelers Vigilance Committee’s annual luncheon and the 20th annual Gem Awards.
More than 130 people attended.
All four events originally had been scheduled for January but were postponed due to concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Prior to the luncheon, JSA re-elected Steven Kaiser, now president and CEO of Kennedy North America, a branch of the Australian specialty jeweler, to a three-year term as chair.
Other JSA officers elected for three-year terms were: Alan Zimmer of Reeds Jewelers, vice chair; Mark Udell of London Jewelers, secretary; and David Tearle, GIA chief financial officer, treasurer.
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