The Jewelers' Security Alliance (JSA) in the United States reports that crimes against jewelry businesses dropped in the first half of 2013.
The number of thefts, burglaries and robberies was down in the January-June period from a year earlier.
In the first six months of this year, there were 740 crime incidents leading to losses of $35.3 million, compared with 844 crimes and losses of more than $41 million for the same period of 2012.
The JSA says the number of crimes has been on the up in recent years even thought the financial value of the stolen items has fallen. That appears to show that criminals prefer crimes that are easier and quicker to carry out, such as three-minute burglaries and grab-and-runs.
The worst years for the US jewelry industry financially were 2008 and 2009 with 714 crimes with a collective value of $48.6 million, and 789 cases worth $49.6 million, respectively.
But in 2010 and 2011, there were more crimes but with a lower financial value – 810 crimes with a value of $44.1 million and 771 worth $40.3 million, respectively.
