Things like alarms, safes, surveillance cameras, and security guards are all essential to protecting your jewelry store merchandise, but they do little to physically prevent thieves from smashing a jewelry display case and running off with valuable pieces of jewelry.
If you’ve watched the news over the past few years or follow retail security news, you probably know that large-scale smash-and-grab thefts, also known as “flash robs,” are on the rise in cities across the US.
These types of mass smash-and-grab robberies often occur in enclosed malls or semi-enclosed strip malls and also often target jewelry stores in these locations.
This is why it’s more important than ever to reevaluate your jewelry store glass protection and ensure it’s ready to combat smash-and-grab theft.
Protecting Jewelry Store Glass Against Flash Robs
What exactly is a flash rob, and why does it matter for jewelry store glass protection?
Flash rob is short for flash mob robbery, a type of smash-and-grab theft in which a large group of thieves (sometimes dozens) descend in a mob upon their targeted store, overwhelming staff and security guards.
When so many people enter a store with hammers, pry bars, and other hand tools, they can smash a large number of display cases and make off with lots of high-value merchandise in a matter of seconds.
With the stolen goods in hand, the thieves then run off in different directions to multiple getaway vehicles parked in various locations outside.
So, even if one or two criminals are caught, many more are all but guaranteed to get away.
The only way to be sure that your jewelry store is not vulnerable to a flash rob is to implement physical glass protection that prevents thieves from smashing display cases and storefront windows in the first place.
How to improve your jewelry store glass protection
The single best way to prevent smash-and-grab theft in jewelry stores is to reinforce storefront glass and display cases with forced entry-resistant polycarbonate security glazing, such as ArmorPlast® AP25 from Riot Glass, LLC.
Being made from polycarbonate, this security glazing is extremely impact resistant and durable, and won’t crack, spall, or shatter after multiple high-force blows from a sledgehammer or any other heavy object. In fact, polycarbonate security glazing is virtually unbreakable.
Other types of security glass commonly used in luxury retail stores, such as laminated security glass, can still be penetrated, and thieves may be able to make a hole large enough to pass a hand through and grab at least some expensive merchandise.
This is not the case with polycarbonate. Containment-grade polycarbonate (like AP25) can only be penetrated by bullets, and, even then, it won’t significantly diminish in strength or allow an attacker to pass their hand through.
Polycarbonate glazing shields can often be retrofitted on top of existing glass display windows, or you can use it to replace the existing glass or construct new display cases from scratch.
Either way, polycarbonate glazing is a very cost-effective way to ensure your valuable jewelry store merchandise is protected against smash-and-grab robberies.
Since smash-and-grab robbers rely on speed and surprise for their plans to go successfully, they’ll be deterred very quickly when they realize your jewelry display windows and cases are smash resistant.
Benefits of using polycarbonate glazing for jewelry store display cases and windows:
- Looks like traditional storefront glass (doesn’t reduce visibility or prevent window shopping)
- Creates a virtually unbreakable barrier over existing glass and/or merchandise
- High-force blows from hammers, pry bars, and other tools bounce right off
- Provides 24/7 jewelry store glass protection against a full range of threats
- Can often be retrofitted to reduce installation time/cost
- Deters and PREVENTS smash-and-grab theft and burglary
Other Tips for Boosting Jewelry Store Security
Forced entry– and burglary-resistant polycarbonate security glazing takes care of the physical part of protecting your jewelry store glass, but it’s important to implement other security measures and best practices for maximum security.
Watch out for suspicious casing behavior
Smash-and-grab thieves don’t usually go into a theft blind, they typically case their targeted businesses beforehand.
So, learn to spot and look out for suspicious casing behavior to recognize potential criminals before they strike, so you can see them coming and react when they do.
This type of behavior includes groups of people coming in and “browsing” together at odd times, customers trying to ignore eye contact and not interacting with employees, and people wearing clothing that hides their appearance, especially heavy clothing out of season.
Whenever you notice suspicious behavior, make a note of it and advise security personnel, so they can keep an eye out for the individuals in case they come back.
Have multiple employees on the sales floor
The more employees you have in your jewelry store, the better. You’ll have more people watching out for suspicious behavior, and your store won’t seem like such an easy target to criminals.
At the very least, you should have two employees on the floor, one to greet customers as they enter and one to show merchandise from display cases to potential buyers.
Employ an armed security guard
Hiring an armed security guard from a professional security company and having them stand at the entrance to your jewelry store can be a strong deterrent to smash-and-grab theft.
Install obvious and hidden surveillance cameras
Installing a mixture of visible and discreet surveillance cameras serves two purposes: the obvious cameras help to deter criminals, and the hidden cameras capture video evidence of faces that can be used to catch and prosecute criminals, if necessary.
Spread the most expensive merchandise out
If you keep all your most expensive jewelry in the same display cases and windows, it’s easier for thieves to grab the most high-value items all at once.
Even if you have strong jewelry store glass protection in place, it’s a best practice to spread expensive merchandise out throughout your store.
Upgrade Your Jewelry Store Glass Protection with Campbell
Campbell Glass and Films is an authorized dealer and installer of ArmorPlast® AP25 polycarbonate security glazing, which is ideal for storefront windows and jewelry display cases.
If you want to protect your jewelry store against smash-and-grab theft, forced entry, burglary, rioting and looting, and more, contact us today for a free consultation.
