Jewelers Crime Alert Network Begins Pilot Phase

A new crime alert service has launched for testing in the US, enabling jewelers to receive fast and accurate information about thefts and fraud in their local area.

Participants in the Jewelers Crime Alert Network (JCAN) can report suspicious events to fellow members via SMS, Aleah Arundale, the project’s mastermind, told Rapaport News Monday. So far, 100 companies are part of the trial, while more are on a waiting list.

Jewelers Helping Jewelers (JHJ), a Facebook group and community that Arundale founded, set up JCAN following a spike in jewelry crime late last year. Incidents — especially distraction thefts — started popping up on the page in early November, Arundale noted.

Jewelers sign up by giving their zip code and choosing the areas for which they would like alerts. When an incident happens, the victim can submit information such as the perpetrator’s clothing, physical descriptions, behaviors, and vehicle details, and can upload security footage. Members in the relevant locality will receive immediate alerts. It will primarily be open to people with public-facing stores; the Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) will verify that applicants have one.

While the organization is separate from JHJ, the launch resulted from actions Arundale took following the recent crime wave. When she approached security experts, one of them, Greg Holland-Merten of UK- and US-based HMH Consultancy & Security Services, pointed out that jewelers simply alerting their five closest neighbors of a threat could prevent losses.

Arundale also connected with Anish Desai, president of Norcross, Georgia-based jewelry manufacturer Star Gems, who had previously built a text sales platform. Desai was able to pivot to crime prevention and build JHJCAN.com. Leo Vincent, who already runs a crime alert system in Missouri, also collaborated to create a dedicated JHJ Facebook group about crime.

“We’ve had so much success with Jewelers Helping Jewelers, becoming the largest network in such a short time where jewelers can connect with each other,” Arundale commented. “We also thought in such a short time we could create the same platform for deterring crime and fraud.”

Image: A burglary at a jewelry store. (Shutterstock)