Smash-and-grab jewelry store heists are a thing — the industry's working to put thieves on ice

It's a scene that's become all-too familiar in the retail world: Burglars smashing the windows and doors of shops in daring fashion and at lightning speed, then making off with high-value, easy-to-snatch goods.

Jewelry stores have become the targets of many of these thieves. And they don't just use hammers: in one recent case in Mississauga, Ont., a vehicle rammed into the store as thieves raced to enter.

These daring crimes became more commonplace following the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened last year, said Scott Hayes, security adviser with Jewellers Vigilance Canada, a non-profit arm of the Canadian Jewellers Association.

Now, Jewellers Vigilance Canada is preparing to meet with its members to address the issue amid a rise in smash-and-grabs in Ontario. The meeting's date hasn't been set yet, but it'll include presentations from police and insurance companies.  

"I can tell you that merchants, especially in the retail side, are definitely concerned," said Hayes. "We're seeing them start to enact or implement different security protocols. Some are security glass or security glazing controlled access [forced entry-resistant security glazing]. There's a host of other things that can be done." 

The London Police Service (LPS) would not release robbery numbers from 2024 without a formal freedom-of-information request at the expense of $150. In 2025, two local incidents have been reported.

Police in Toronto told CBC News that jewelry store robberies have more than doubled in the last year. In the Regional Municipality of Peel, police said, robberies have more than tripled, and in York Region, they've nearly doubled.

In giving some of the reasons for the rise in jewelry shop crimes, Hayes said they're high-value items that are easily transportable, and they're easily transferred for cash because the price of gold and gemstones is stable around the world. 

The nature of the thefts is becoming more menacing and violent toward employees, he said. Rather than just smashing and grabbing, the thieves are starting to compel store staff to access or try to access other jewelry in various areas across the store. 

"As far as the general public goes, I haven't seen that quite yet, but my experience is that as the criminal use of violence continues, the level of violence they're willing to use tends to go up," Hayes said.

Among the merchants concerned about smash-and-grabs is Mandeep Singh, owner of My Dream Jewellers.

He's calling for police and governments to get tougher on crime. 

"If someone robbed the shop and the police caught the robbers, the next day they'll be released," he said. "We have to make some more strict rules to feel safe."  

Some of the high-profile smash-and-grabs in London of late include: