JSA Warns Jewelers of Power-Cut Break-Ins

RAPAPORT...The Jewelers' Security Alliance (JSA)has issued a "code red" warning ahead of Thursday's July 4celebrations in the US. The New York-based association,which provides crime information andassistance to jewelers across America, has warned that power interruptions atjewelry stores is a "red flag" for a break-in. Holidays such as July 4 areparticularly "high-risk," it said in a crime alert late last week. The JSA has identified over 50 cases todate in 2019 where burglars have cut power supplies to US jewelry stores aheadof a break-in. Typical methods used include accessing the exterior electricalpanel to disable alarms and camera systems. Burglars will then wait to observepolice or other responders arriving, and will remain until they have departedand until backup batteries have been exhausted. Suspects may also cutthrough roofs or break into the jewelry store from a neighboring business, JSAsaid. In some cases, suspects may even cut power to several jewelry stores inthe same area, waiting to observe the response time before identifying the beststore to target. The association has urged any store experiencing a powercut to notify JSA, which is actively working with law enforcement to monitor thesituation. It has also recommended that jewelers should always respond to casesof power interruptionsat their stores, and should have sufficient employees listed with their alarmcompany to cover holidays, weekends and vacations. Jewelers should regularly inspecttheir electrical box, it added, reporting any sign of tampering to both thepolice and JSA.Image: A necklace in a jewelry-store window. (Pixabay)