Last week we had an attempted smash and grab at the shop. My staff handled it perfectly and nothing was damaged/stolen. This is the 2nd attempt in a year. From what my buddy at the PD was saying, this is part of a huge criminal enterprise. There are gangs paying underage punks $300-500 a day to do smash and grabs all over California.

Have you seen an uptick of this where you live?

Nope, but in Florida I think the odds of getting shot trying this is pretty high. Sorry to hear of your situation, glad everyone is ok.

One of the few Jewelry stores here got hit by a "youth" gang of probably 10 of them about a year or two ago. They never re-opened after that.

They found and arrested a few of them and learned that they were from a group from the bay area.

Dave, I'm glad to hear that you, your staff and property are safe. I've been to your store and am impressed (but not surprised) by the professional and proactive stance your staff takes. I'm ugly but harmless, so they let me in.

I don't see if much in my neighborhood, but the nearby hi-end mall does hire extra security during the holiday season and our local PD doesn't mess around. They will pursue, arrest and the DA will prosecute.

Not far away in Sacramento and the Bay Area, it's common.

The thieves and master minds have done the risk/reward calculus. In today's environment, it's worth the risk.

Just curious, but how did your staff handle it?

Don't feel compelled to answer with enough detail to compromise your process.

Not much in Florida. This is a "go out in a blaze of glory" state.

quote:

Originally posted by davetruong:
Have you seen an uptick of this where you live?

Shoplifting, larceny and burglary have most certainly spiked over the last 36-24 months, if you're a merchant with a store front you've very likely experienced or, are close to someone who has. Anybody attempting to minimize, contextualize or, outright deny it happening are actually enabling the situation. Ive come across more articles and podcasts recently where the hosts/authors attempt to 'provide perspective' by essentially down-playing the issue, instead pointing the finger at various groups with ulterior motives stoking the flames. Their sole data-source being police reports...which anybody who's run a business knows, not all incidents get reported to the police.

There's certainly a difference in the nature of the crimes, jewelry and appreciable goods sellers I think are the result of organized rings, same also with commodity goods like those who hit the local CVS/Rite-Aid/Walgreen's, a mob hitting a convenance store or, clothing store I think are more about predatory opportunism and social contagion rather than any kind of illegal enterprise. All of this has encouraged a careless, no-ethic, no mores culture amongst this current generation of teens/twenty-somethings. Last night was an interesting observation study, which kids took ONE candy and which kids took handfuls of candy.

Dave, when you say "smash and grab" I think of a quick in and out burglary. But since you said your staff handled it I have to assume that it was during store hours. Can you explain what was attempted?

In my retail stores many years ago we had an issue with someone throwing a brick through a window and grabbing what they could. Burglar bars put a stop to that, until someone decided to steal a car and drive it through the wall of the store. After that we installed 6" pipe filled with concrete at the edge of the parking lot, and haven't had any issues since.

For anyone with retail frontage who hasn't done this, I highly suggest putting in pipes, or concrete benches--anything that will stop a vehicle.

To my knowledge we have had no daytime robberies of this sort around here. But of course in the deep south any such behavior has a good chance of being met with a hail of bullets from staff and bystanders alike.

It is sickening at what some punks are doing to area businesses. Glad to hear you made out alright.

https://www.abc57.com/news/aft...bery-at-kay-jewelers

Yep it does happen. Just a few days ago at a town just south of me.

Yes, Atlanta is a hellhole in Buckhead now.

quote:

Originally posted by davetruong:
Last week we had an attempted smash and grab at the shop. My staff handled it perfectly and nothing was damaged/stolen. This is the 2nd attempt in a year. From what my buddy at the PD was saying, this is part of a huge criminal enterprise. There are gangs paying underage punks $300-500 a day to do smash and grabs all over California.

Have you seen an uptick of this where you live?

Did you call the coroner?

Sorry to hear that David.

I don't recall hearing anything in the local news here in Florida about smash and grab robberies

Very common in Chicago including in the heart of downtown.

Not in flyover country thankfully. Sorry about your problems Dave.

Sorry to hear about that Dave...

Yes, they are increasing in my area..

Not common around here. When they do occur, it's the occasional after-hours hit on a smaller gun shop by a group of gang members, not that style of daytime/business hours smash and grab.

But the theme of juveniles being recruited to do the adult's dirty work applies all around.

Central MO here; nothing to report.

Of course, I'm far from any urban centers, and we are constitutional carry, R governed, R house, R senate, and all the good ole boys just got their deer rifles sighted in. Hell, even the grannies with walkers are packing heat.

If somebody wants to make big money, be somebody famous, or enjoy a big social following...this isn't the place to be.

But we don't have crime waves or para-gliding terrorists kicking off holy wars, so we have that going for us.

Very happy to hear you and your family are safe, Dave.

Not that I wish it upon you but I’m surprised it’s only been two attempts in a year. And since it’s “organized,” I think they’ll continue unfortunately.

The thought came to mind it’s like having smoldering embers underneath society. Unless effort is put into completely extinguishing the embers, society will continually suffer flame ups in every place.