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JSA’s 2025 Crime Report Shows ‘Concerning’ Rise in Violence
While the overall number of crimes was down, there were more incidences in which robbers pulled out guns, mace, or rammed cars into stores.
The Jewelers’ Security Alliance recently released its annual crime report for 2025, which gives an overview of the types of crimes most perpetrated against jewelers and jewelry businesses last year.
New York—The number of crimes perpetrated against jewelers and jewelry stores declined last year but were more violent and resulted in nearly $145 million in losses, the annual crime report from the Jewelers’ Security Alliance shows.
Released late last month, the report shows that 1,233 crimes were reported to JSA in 2025, down 13 percent from 1,420 in 2024.
Dollar losses, which are adjusted for inflation but not the price of gold, increased less than 2 percent to $144.7 million, compared with $142.5 million in 2024.
For the second year in a row, on-premises burglaries accounted for more dollar losses than any other crime category, JSA said, even though the number of burglaries declined year-over-year.
Jewelry business reported 262 burglaries to JSA in 2025 versus 305 in 2024, a 14 percent drop.
A burglary is defined as a crime in which the perpetrator enters or unlawfully remains in a building with the intent to commit a crime. Examples of burglaries include safe attacks, 3-minute burglaries, and smashing through the front windows when the store is closed.
In an interview with National Jeweler, JSA Executive Vice President Scott Guginsky attributed this dynamic—rising dollars losses despite fewer burglaries—to the continuing trend of professional crews pulling off sophisticated jobs that result in “significant” losses, as well as the higher price of gold.
After starting the year around $2,500 an ounce, the price of gold climbed steadily throughout 2025, ending the year near $4,500, data from the World Gold Council shows.
The number of on-premises robberies, meanwhile, was essentially flat year-over-year. A robbery is defined as the taking of property by use of force or fear.
There were 218 on-premises robberies reported to JSA in 2025, compared with 219 in 2024.
However, the percentage of on-premises robberies that involved guns, mace, or vehicles being driven into stores increased to 27 percent in 2025 from 17 percent the year before, a pattern Guginsky described as “very, very concerning.”
“Jewelry can be replaced,” he said. “Human lives can’t.”
Suspects pulled out or showed a gun in 24 percent of jewelry store robberies last year, up from 20 percent in 2024.
The use of mace or mace-like substances, like pepper or bear spray, in smash-and-grab robberies increased five-fold, from three incidents in 2024 to 14 incidents in 2025.
JSA also received reports of 13 robberies that involved the perpetrators driving a vehicle through the front of an occupied jewelry store; there were no vehicle-smashing robberies reported to JSA in 2024.
Released late last month, the report shows that 1,233 crimes were reported to JSA in 2025, down 13 percent from 1,420 in 2024.
Dollar losses, which are adjusted for inflation but not the price of gold, increased less than 2 percent to $144.7 million, compared with $142.5 million in 2024.
For the second year in a row, on-premises burglaries accounted for more dollar losses than any other crime category, JSA said, even though the number of burglaries declined year-over-year.
Jewelry business reported 262 burglaries to JSA in 2025 versus 305 in 2024, a 14 percent drop.
A burglary is defined as a crime in which the perpetrator enters or unlawfully remains in a building with the intent to commit a crime. Examples of burglaries include safe attacks, 3-minute burglaries, and smashing through the front windows when the store is closed.
In an interview with National Jeweler, JSA Executive Vice President Scott Guginsky attributed this dynamic—rising dollars losses despite fewer burglaries—to the continuing trend of professional crews pulling off sophisticated jobs that result in “significant” losses, as well as the higher price of gold.
After starting the year around $2,500 an ounce, the price of gold climbed steadily throughout 2025, ending the year near $4,500, data from the World Gold Council shows.
The number of on-premises robberies, meanwhile, was essentially flat year-over-year. A robbery is defined as the taking of property by use of force or fear.
There were 218 on-premises robberies reported to JSA in 2025, compared with 219 in 2024.
However, the percentage of on-premises robberies that involved guns, mace, or vehicles being driven into stores increased to 27 percent in 2025 from 17 percent the year before, a pattern Guginsky described as “very, very concerning.”
“Jewelry can be replaced,” he said. “Human lives can’t.”
Suspects pulled out or showed a gun in 24 percent of jewelry store robberies last year, up from 20 percent in 2024.
The use of mace or mace-like substances, like pepper or bear spray, in smash-and-grab robberies increased five-fold, from three incidents in 2024 to 14 incidents in 2025.
JSA also received reports of 13 robberies that involved the perpetrators driving a vehicle through the front of an occupied jewelry store; there were no vehicle-smashing robberies reported to JSA in 2024.
“Nobody comes into your jewelry store and flashes $10,000 in cash … If they do, [it’s] game on.” —Scott Guginsky, Jewelers’ Security Alliance
While burglaries involving professional crews cutting through walls and roofs to access safes continued to drive dollar losses in 2025, Guginsky also pointed to another category that is less financially devastating and less sophisticated but remains a problem for jewelers: distraction thefts.
Theft is defined as the taking of property without force or fear, and distraction thefts are just what they sound like.
The perpetrators attempt to divert the salesperson’s attention by, for example, flashing a stack of cash and feigning interest in making a large purchase, and then slip jewelry into their pocket while the salesperson’s attention is elsewhere.
Guginsky said a customer pulling out a stack of cash should always be considered a red flag.
“Nobody comes into your jewelry store and flashes $10,000 in cash … If they do, [it’s] game on; you’re probably going to be the victim of a distraction theft,” he said.
A total of 151 distraction thefts were reported to JSA in 2025, up 15 percent from 131 in 2024.
The category also resulted in a higher average loss ($21,448) than grab-and-run, switch, or sneak thefts.
Two members of the jewelry industry were killed while on the job in 2025, down from four in 2024.
The homicides happened outside a family-owned jewelry store in Chicago in November 2025.
Police say a man entered Joyeria Angelo’s in the city’s Little Village neighborhood, pulled out a gun and demanded jewelry, and then ran out of the store.
The store’s owners, Faustino Alamo Dominguez and his son Luis Angel Alamo, chased the man and were killed while in pursuit.
In February, a 35-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the murders.
JSA advises against chasing criminals when they are running out of the store because they may have armed accomplices waiting for them.
Guginsky offered additional tips for jewelers given the high price of gold, which hovered around $4,600 at press time, and the continued violent smash-and-grab robberies.
He recommended jewelers have buzzers on their front doors, hire a uniformed security guard, and consider placing bollards in front of their store to prevent someone from driving a vehicle through the front windows.
Guginsky said jewelers should establish a rapport with their local police department. They should know who patrols the area where their store is located.
Also, ask the department if they have a car that’s out of service or not being used; if so, ask them to park it in front of the store as a deterrent.
He also advised that jewelers make sure they have proper insurance, particularly if they leave jewelry out overnight, and update their inventory list with their insurance company to reflect the current price of gold.
He said jewelers who do leave product in their showcases overnight should not cover the showcases with a cloth or blanket because that can attract burglars.
Lastly, Guginsky said jewelers should require all employees to read JSA’s weekly crime bulletin, so everyone is aware of the latest crime trends. They also should have a training log that employees are required to sign indicating they’ve read the bulletin.
“That will prevent crime and that will prevent people from being hurt,” he said.
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