Why is California seeing 'unheard of' surge in violent jewelry shop robberies?
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Following multiple brazen Bay Area jewelry store heists in the last month, ABC7 News heard from a security expert and a community advocate on the concerning trend and why we might be seeing an increase in these robberies.
Earlier this week, nearly 25 people ransacked Heller Jewelry Store in San Ramon in broad daylight, stealing an estimated $1 million worth of merchandise.
Earlier this month, a smash-and-grab robbery at Kim Hung Jewelry in San Jose.
And then Fine Jewelry in Milpitas was hit by a swarm of thieves.
Three separate cases, all with identical looks of large groups of people ransacking jewelry stores.
RELATED: Dramatic video shows nearly 25 suspects ransacking San Ramon jewelry store in $1 million heist
"So since March, we've had 30 violent robberies in California targeting jewelry stores. This is something I haven't seen in my 30-plus years of investigating jewelry crime with the NYPD, and 14 years with the Jewelers Security Alliance. I've never seen this level of violence," said Scott Guginsky who is the VP of the Jewelers Security Alliance.
The Alliance works to help keep employees and customers safe at jewelry stores across the country. Guginsky says that as gold approaches $4,000 an ounce, these stores are being targeted.
He says that 16 of the 30 recent cases in California involve smash-and-grabs like we saw in San Jose.
"And 14 others were mob-style - 10, 20, 30 people charging the jewelry store with sledgehammers and firearms.
MORE: 7 men indicted in $100M jewelry heist from Bay Area to SoCal, largest in US history
Rodney Alamo Brown heads Soulful Softball Sunday and works with youth in Richmond.
He says that until we do a better job educating and preparing our young people, these crimes will continue to happen.
"Schools don't teach these kids what they should know. But the thing that's really the clincher is, when they see all these wonderful things being advertised on social media, and then the have-nots become the not-haves," said Brown.
Seven people were arrested in Connection to the San Ramon heist, all between the ages of 17 and 31.
MORE: Concerns raised after increase in minors being petitioned for adult court in Alameda County
Entry-level jobs are on the decline according to recent numbers, and Brown says these young people are looking for a way to better their lives.
"And so these young people presumably assume that, 'Hey, I gotta do what I gotta do. There's no other opposite end of the tracks for me. This is it. Either our barbecue or our mildew.' And so when that opportunity presents itself, they take that opportunity to better their condition," said Brown.
Guginsky though, disagrees with part of that.
"And these aren't people that just graduated from high school, these are career criminals with extensive, lengthy arrest history," he said. "So some of the people that are being arrested have long rap sheets, even though they recruited some juveniles. But the level of violence, and I'll say it again, having 30 of these robberies in California, in multiple jurisdictions since March, and we have documented every case, and we work with law enforcement, is unheard of in my 30-plus years doing jewelry crime."
