
Written by Jordyn Streisfield
With the winter holidays just past, and Valentine’s Day on the horizon, the winter season should be a great time for jewelry stores in Ontario . But a recent string of robberies is now making
store owners fearful for their businesses’ survival. According to Toronto Police, 2024 saw a 78% rise in jewelry store robberies over the year before. Now in the new year, this string of thefts seems to be continuing, as more stores have recently reportedly been broken into and had their merchandise stolen.

One of those stores is Jewelry Forever, in Markville Shopping Center. “The day the robbery happened, it was like any other day. “ says Jerry Sorani, who works at the store. According to
Sorani, three people entered his store, and began hitting the glass display cases with hammers. While security cameras caught footage of the crime, Sorani leapt into action, swinging a broom
at the robbers and chasing them out of the store. “I wasn’t scared. It was a natural reaction to
not let it happen.” he says.
Not every store is so fortunate. On Tuesday January 14th, a jewelry kiosk in Golden Mile Plaza was the target of a smash-and-grab, which is still being investigated. In the wake of crimes like
these, stores across the GTA are thinking about security. “ We can just lock the doors, and let people in and out. That’s our way of stopping people from coming in.” says Solani. “But now
they’re so brazen, they break the doors to get in.”
Nadine Ramadan, Senior Communications Officer for the Toronto Police, says that they are encouraging stores to make themselves less attractive to potential thieves, or “target hardening”
as they call it. They encourage stores to have security cameras installed, use high security locks on their displays, and talk to their local police if they need help.
In the past few months, many of these high-profile jewelry store robberies have been allegedly perpetrated by teenagers. This past December, two teenagers were arrested for allegedly
helping rob a store in Richmond Hill. That same month, three teenagers were arrested for allegedly robbing a store in Fairview Mall. Some people believe that this speaks to a bigger
issue. “Its very unfortunate the way things are going.” says Solani. “ I think it’s because a majority of what’s happening, it’s with very young people, and problems with the system. That’s
why it keeps happening. They’re all teens, and usually when they get caught they get out the next day.” Police say that the Hold Up Squad, a group dedicated to investigating robberies, is working
together with security teams and jewelry store owners to crack down on these crimes, and prevent them from happening. “Together, we aim to raise awareness, share actionable safety
recommendations, and reduce the risk of robbery and victimization for business owners and employees alike.” said Ramadan.
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