Uptick in jewelry store robberies tied to organized crime, says public safety expert

A crime and safety expert said an uptick of jewelry store robberies from the GTA on down to the London region is likely tied to organized crime.

The comments come from CTV Public Safety Analyst and former OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis and follow a violent attempted robbery in London this week.

“That’s often the case that they’re going from some other larger centre and then hitting a lot of smaller markets, and then getting back to the larger centre,” explained Lewis.

Late Tuesday afternoon, an SUV pulled into a shopping plaza at Wharncliffe and Baseline Roads in London. Police said four men wearing masks got out and attempted to smash their way into a jewelry store.

They were unsuccessful and fled in their vehicle. An hour later, an SUV matching the description of the suspect vehicle was spotted driving dangerously in Tillsonburg. It eluded police.

“They’re often using vehicles that are stolen, or license plates that are stolen and then dumping them again. So even getting cameras on those vehicles aren’t necessarily really going to help police,” Lewis said.

CTV Public Safety Analyst and former OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis speaks to CTV News via Zoom on Jan. 9, 2025. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

In 2024, the GTA experienced a rash of jewelry store smash and grab type robberies, often involving several suspects. In one case, at least ten suspects were caught on cell phone video involved in such a robbery at a mall in Markham. Lewis said the suspects are often young people under the employ of organized crime groups.

“These, almost kind of high-profile heists, almost like a swarm, smash and grab sort of things have been happening increasingly right across Canada. Largely controlled by organized crime. They hire local thugs, often young people to actually conduct the thefts. And of course it’s all coordinated by higher-ups in organized crime groups,” explained Lewis.

CTV News reached out to Jewellers Vigilance Canada, a subsidiary of Canadian Jewellers Association for an interview, but they declined. Instead, they provided an email response to a number of questions.

In part, the statement said the following:

“With a possible rise in violence towards jewellery store employees, this can easily spill-over to the general public more broadly.”

“While the robbers don’t seem to be intentionally involving bystanders, people should keep their distance if they happen to be in the vicinity of a robbery in progress. Intervening in a robbery event could easily result in serious injuries to someone attempting to stop a crime in-progress.”

A cell-phone image of a jewelry store robbery at a mall in Markham, Ont. on Dec. 4, 2024. (File)

In London, a number of businesses have been targeted in recent years, including an armed robbery at London Gold Buyer on Highbury Avenue in January of 2023. In that incident the owner was shot and critically injured, while an employee was also injured. Four suspects from the Toronto area were charged.

Lewis said added security, or even security guards at a business is not always a deterrent for would-be robbers.

“Having physical security there doesn’t seem to scare them because there’s five or six of them, and the security guard who really can’t do a lot except watch. They don’t want to risk their lives. So it is difficult to prevent,” he said.